We are pleased to premier our new Trail Skills Institute Video Series on the ATA’s Youtube channel. The videos were produced in partnership with Flagline Trails, American Conservation Experience (ACE) and Arizona Conservation Corps (AZCC) by Outdoor Evolution Media. They are being filmed in various locations across the state and include tips on trail maintenance in the wide variety of […]
Read moreThe New York Times (November 1, 2020) by Laiken Jordahl Saguaro cactuses, some nearly a century old, in shards on the desert floor. Jaguars, lost, because a metal wall has blocked their migratory path. Endangered species homeless because their critical habitats have been destroyed. Living and working along the U.S.-Mexico border means watching the surreal, slow-motion leveling of the wild […]
Read moreSt. George News (October 26, 2020) by Aspen Stoddard On Sept. 27, Luke Barnett, head pastor of Dream City Church in Phoenix, Arizona, and his daughter Annalee Barnett set out on the Arizona Trail to hike approximately 800 miles to the Mexico border in an effort to raise $1 million for the Short Creek Dream Center. Luke Merideth, director of […]
Read moreArizona Daily Sun (October 25, 2020) by Julie Hammonds The other night, I was sitting at my computer searching for real races to enter: the kind with a finish line and aid stations and post-race parties. I appreciate the flexibility of virtual races, but I miss the thrill of measuring myself against others on the same course on the same […]
Read moreTucson Weekly (October 22, 2020) Best Backpacking Trail – Arizona Trail How lucky are we to live in a place where it’s hard to decide what the best local backpacking trail is? The 800-mile Arizona trail links biomes ranging from deserts to forests to mountains across Mexico, Arizona and Utah. It’s divided into 43 individual passages, each with its own […]
Read moreAfter a year of research and gathering input from Arizona Trail users like you, the ATA is proud to release its final report on Perceptions of Conflict Surrounding Future E-Bike Use on the Arizona Trail. This research was motivated by changes in how federal agencies are managing electric-motorized bicycles (e-bikes) and Secretarial Order 3376, which may allow e-bikes on non-motorized […]
Read moreTucson Weekly (October 5, 2020) by Joe Giddens Senate candidates Martha McSally and Mark Kelly laid out their visions of public land management for Arizona on Friday in two separate online forums hosted by the Arizona Trail Association. The online forums took place ahead of their only scheduled debate on Tuesday and today’s voter registration deadline. Climate change starkly contrasted […]
Read moreDisplay your love for the Arizona Trail with original jewelry handcrafted in Flagstaff. Backcountry guide and jewelry artist Ryanne Sebern has created a stunning line of silver earrings and necklaces with copper accents inspired by the AZT. She has also added stamped designs to appeal to hikers (boot print), equestrians (horseshoe), and mountain bikers (bike). Six different designs are available to choose from at […]
Read moreThe Wickenburg Sun (September 28, 2020) The Arizona Trail Association (ATA) has arranged a special online “Trailhead Talk” with United States Senate candidates Martha McSally (R) and Mark Kelly (D) on Friday, October 2. These one-on-one conversations will provide each candidate an opportunity to share their personal connection to the Arizona Trail and speak about the importance of public lands, […]
Read moreCopper Area News (September 16, 2020) by Staff Eight hundred miles is a long distance to attempt to drive in a day. If traveling by foot, bike, horse or any other self-powered means, it’s impossible within 24 hours. Or is it? On Saturday, Oct. 10, hundreds of outdoor enthusiasts from across Arizona will cover one of over 100 […]
Read moreLake Powell Life News by Halley Simpson FREDONIA, Ariz., September 16, 2020 — A significant portion of the Mangum Fire closure has been reopened to the public. The Kaibab National Forest has lifted some road closures as well as the nearly 80,000-acre area closure that spanned the northernmost part of the North Kaibab Ranger District. The Kaibab National Forest continues to […]
Read moreDid you know the Arizona Trail Association relies on you to understand current trail conditions? You’re the eyes, boots, wheels and hooves on the trail, and most of what we know about current trail conditions comes from trail users like you. That’s why we encourage you to communicate things like downed trees, blowouts from erosion, fallen signs, litter, bees, and […]
Read moreFlagstaff Business News (September 2, 2020) by Bonnie Stevens In the shade of a thriving alligator juniper tree in Buffalo Park on a sunny August day, Dr. John Hildebrand and historian Jim Babbitt sat on a polished rock bench dedicated to their friend, Dale Shewalter, founder of the Arizona Trail, and reminisced about the journey since the ‘70s when the […]
Read moreTravel Awaits (September 1, 2020) by Cindy Barks Truthfully, every season is gorgeous in the White Mountains of eastern Arizona. In the spring and summer, the banks of babbling creeks erupt with wildflowers, and in the winter, the rugged peaks and sloping meadows are blanketed in sparkling white. But it is perhaps in autumn that the White Mountains are at […]
Read moreArizona Republic (August 24, 2020) by Salma Reyes Pima County officials discovered the body of a dead man along the Arizona Trail on Monday. The body was discovered near Redington Road just before noon by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department helicopter crew while conducting a routine training flight, according to a release from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. The remains, recovered by search and […]
Read moreArizona Republic (August 20, 2020) by Mare Czinar It feels like everyone is heading to Arizona’s high country this summer, and no wonder. With record-breaking heat in Phoenix and people curtailing their activities because of the new coronavirus pandemic, a change of scenery is more refreshing than ever. Here are three Flagstaff hikes that are at their best in summer. The masses […]
Read moreThe Fountain Hills Times (August 12, 2020) by Congressman David Schweikert Arizonans know the importance of maintaining our national parks’ beauty and accessibility. Recently, congress passed the Great American Outdoors Act, legislation to improve infrastructure and access to our national parks and public lands, while also promoting new job growth. I am pleased to report this legislation has been signed […]
Read moreArizona Daily Sun (August 11, 2020) by Sam McManis Mornings after monsoons, it’s best to choose your trails carefully lest you fall prey to the mistake I made last month and get stuck in the very definition of the word quagmire. Now, let me preface this by saying there are many trails in greater Flagstaff that can handle a little […]
Read moreArizona Daily Sun (August 4, 2020) by Sam McManis Out on the open range, so far north of Flagstaff that the San Francisco Peaks can barely be peeked at in the distance, a newly cut swath of singletrack trail 20 years in the making was unveiled over the weekend. A 15-mile stretch of the Arizona Trail, the state’ outdoor recreational […]
Read moreArizona Daily Sun (August 4, 2020) by Sam McManis here are no boring trails, only boring people. John Muir said that, I think. Or, if he didn’t, he should have. I entertained that thought — so, so deep and incisive — as I was traveling on the 5.7-mile Deer Hill Trail east of the Peaks, from Little Elden Springs Horse […]
Read moreOn August 4, the Great American Outdoors Act was signed into law. This is the most important piece of conservation legislation in half a century! The Act provides full and permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which protect lands and waters Americans treasure most, and improves access to the outdoors for urban communities. The Act also dedicates […]
Read moreThe Trek (July 31, 2020) by Katie Kommer Any piece of gear deemed worthy of Anish on her 2013 FKT of the PCT deserves serious consideration. Eight ounces of weight is a fair price to pay for a reprieve from the desert sun. Though I wasn’t using my umbrella to shade me from that extreme of heat, I’m still completely […]
Read moreThe Trek (July 30, 2020) by Zach Citing multiple trail closures with “no safe or reasonable detours,” in addition to Arizona being a COVID-19 hotspot, the Arizona Trail Association is discouraging both thru-hikes and thru-rides on the Arizona Trail for the remainder of 2020. Trail closures include: AZT Passages 10-12 through the Santa Catalina Mountains and Pusch Ridge Wilderness Bypass […]
Read moreArizona Daily Sun (July 28, 2020) by Sam McManis Going on fire roads sure would be more enjoyable, and certainly less monotonous, if they were all as spectacular as Hart Prairie Road, aka FR 151, running west of the San Francisco Peaks. Hart Prairie, especially the two-mile stretch between FR 418 and FR 627 (the turnoff for the Bismarck Lake […]
Read moreToday, the United States House of Representatives voted in favor of the Great American Outdoors Act by an overwhelming majority (310–107). It is now on its way to be signed by the President, and within the next 10 days will become the most significant piece of conservation legislation in a generation. The Act provides full and permanent funding for the […]
Read moreArizona Republic (July 21, 2020) by Rafael Carranza U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the federal agency overseeing the planning and construction of physical barriers along the Arizona-Mexico border, said work has begun to raze and widen a large swath of protected land within a national park to prepare for border wall construction. CBP released more details about the project and its […]
Read moreArizona Public Media (July 17, 2020) by Tony Paniagua Tony Paniagua visited Sasabe and the Coronado National Memorial, where projects are underway. Click here to watch the 5-minute video coverage.
Read moreThe Trek (July 17, 2020) by Jean Taggart It’s July 2020 and COVID is still upon us. Summer has arrived, the weather is warm, and some folks have even resumed thru-hikes. The Arizona Trail (AZT) beckons. But the official word on the Arizona Trail website is as follows: “The CDC currently recommends all Americans avoid discretionary travel. If access to the Arizona […]
Read moreWater is the most important resource along the 800-mile Arizona National Scenic Trail. Where to find it, how reliable the source may be, and the quality of the water is vital to any long-distance trail adventure on foot, mountain bike or equine. Working with our friends at Atlas Guides, we are proud to introduce the Arizona Trail Water Report. This […]
Read moreArizona Daily Sun (July 14, 2020) by Sam McManis Let’s face it, not all of the 800-mile Arizona Trail is Instagram-worthy. No, not even the Flagstaff segments. Jewel that it is in these parts, the AZT is not all stately Ponderosa pines and quaking aspens and brisk alpine ascents. By necessity and design, some of the trail that runs through […]
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