Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced their plans today to construct two miles of border barriers through the Huachuca Mountains within Coronado National Memorial and across the Arizona National Scenic Trail. Beginning Monday, July 13 the southernmost two miles of the Trail will be closed in the interest of public safety during construction activities. Click here to send a pre-formatted […]
Read moreJuly 3, 2020 (City Sun Times) Residents looking for a big goal to keep them healthy and motivated during a time of social distancing are invited to sign up for the Arizona Trail Virtual Adventure. This do-it-yourself event encourages participants to hike, run or ride anywhere and accumulate miles toward completing all or a portion of the 800-mile Arizona Trail. […]
Read moreJune 8, 2020 (Wisconsin Gazette) The Trump administration wants to build a border wall across the terminus of the 800-mile long, federally protected Arizona Trail. A 30-ft steel barrier could soon rip through the rugged Huachuca Mountains, stopping migrating jaguars and ocelots in their tracks and changing the experience of thousands of hikers forever. Watch Matthew Nelson of the Arizona […]
Read moreArizona Republic (June 24, 2020) by Mare Czinar Since prehistoric times, the fertile forests around Mormon Lake have served Native peoples, wildlife, commerce and recreationists. The geologically complex area of volcanic landforms and natural lakes is situated among historic travel corridors that have been used for centuries by early inhabitants, loggers and ranchers. Gooseberry Springs, which sits at the base […]
Read moreOn December 11th, 2019, 12 students from Edge High School left for an amazing adventure into the Rincon Mountain Foothills. Our goal was to hike to Bridal Wreath Falls, and gain a better understanding of high desert grasslands in our Sonoran Desert. Outdoor learning is a variable as the weather, and goals and plans are often flexible to meet the […]
Read morePlease use caution while enjoying the Arizona Trail near Hart Prairie between Aspen Corner and Forest Road 418 during the summer of 2020. The U.S. Forest Service will be cutting and masticating ponderosa pine trees throughout the area to restore the meadow environment. This project allows regrowth of Bebb willow and other alpine meadow species that have been pushed out […]
Read moreby John Nelson, May 2020 The other day was Dale’s birthday. I can’t believe he’d be seventy now. He’ll always be about thirty for us. This morning we listened to Irish music and had sourdough pancakes in his honor. Lisa and I met Dale in about 1978 when we lived next to each other in the two second-story apartments above an […]
Read moreThe Trail Show (May 26, 2020) by Lawton “Disco” Grinder The Trail Show, America’s greatest hiking podcast, features a conversation with Arizona Trail Association Executive Director Matthew Nelson about how a border wall and infrastructure would impact the southern terminus of the AZT. You can listen to Episode #94 here. The Arizona Trail segment begins at 1:25:42 into the podcast.
Read moreArizona Republic (May 18, 2020) by Rafael Carranza Kimberly Lea and Kimberly Knebel hiked around Phoenix for months, carrying weights and monitoring their water use, in preparation to start hiking the first section of the Arizona Trail. The scenic 800-mile-long route stretches from the Arizona-Utah state line south to the Coronado National Memorial, 4,750 acres of protected mountain landscapes and grassy plains on the […]
Read moreBikepacking.com (May 15, 2020) by Lucas Winzenburg A new 74-mile segment of the border wall between the United States and Mexico is threatening the southern terminus of the 750-mile Arizona Trail, and the Arizona Trail Association is seeking public comments through the end of today. Read more here, with details on what’s at stake and how you can help… Customs […]
Read moreKNAU (May 15, 2020) by Ryan Heinsius The Hopi Tribe says the Trump administration’s plan to build 74 miles of barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border would disrupt a ceremonial migration route. According to Hopi Vice Chairman Clark Tenakhongva it would cut off the Palatkwapi Trail, which the tribe uses to maintain cultural and ceremonial connections to Indigenous groups in Mexico […]
Read moreTrail construction on the 32-mile Temporal Gulch Reroute Project has begun! A crew of four American Conservation Experience trail professionals and a mini-excavator operator – Rob Bauer of Bauer Built Trails – have been hard at work building singletrack in the Canelo Hills. Watch this 30-second time-lapse video for a snapshot of what they’re up to. Once completed, this project […]
Read moreLatin Post (May 13, 2020) by Danielle Ong Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf recently toured Southern Arizona’s borderlands to inspect the ongoing wall construction projects. He also gauged his department’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Wolf began his tour with a visit to the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales-a critical crossing point for millions of manufactured products and immigrants. He […]
Read moreKNAU (May 12, 2020) by Ryan Heinsius The Arizona Trail Association says the Trump administration’s plan to expand its border wall would destroy one of the trail’s most important sites. KNAU’s Ryan Heinsius reports. The proposed 74-miles of new border barrier would cut through the southernmost section of the Arizona National Scenic Trail in the Huachuca Mountains and Coronado National […]
Read moreAssociated Press (May 12, 2020) by Astrid Galvan Tess Mullaney remembers looking at endless rolling desert hills, covered in a thin layer of white snow just as the sun was rising the day she embarked on a 2½-month journey through the Arizona Trail, an 800-mile system that starts at the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona and ends at the Utah one. […]
Read morePayson Roundup (May 12, 2020) by Peter Aleshire So, here’s an unusual way to prepare for a harsh political campaign: Hike 800 miles in two months through the Arizona wilderness — mostly all alone. While you’re at it, throw in a torn ligament and bloody, infected blisters. Hiking the Arizona Trail might not suit most political candidates, but it gave […]
Read morePhoenix New Times (May 12, 2020) by Ray Stern The southern end of the 800-mile Arizona Trail is a wonder of open space running across the international line from the Coronado National Memorial to a vast, desert area of Mexico far from any paved roads. It could also soon be the site of two miles of Trump’s border wall, along […]
Read moreKJZZ (May 12, 2020) by Michel Marizco The Trump administration wants to build a new section of border fence through the Huachuca Mountains in Cochise County. The Arizona Trail Association says that would destroy the trailhead to the legacy hiking path. Customs and Border Protection is taking public comment through May 15 on the project. It wants to build an […]
Read moreEl Inde (May 10, 2020) by Devyn Edelstein Patagonia has a lot of visitors who walk a long way to spend a short time there. Former professional cyclist Chuck Veylupek is one of them. He passed through Patagonia in February, eight days into a four-month, 800-mile trek on the Arizona Trail. Veylupek, 51 years old, has a beard, grey hair, […]
Read moreThe Trek (May 11, 2020) by Hugh Owen The Arizona Trail Association is speaking out against a border wall project that it says would “significantly impact the Southern Terminus of the Arizona National Scenic Trail, transform the landscape and its visual resources, and forever alter the Arizona Trail experience.” The federal Customs and Border Protection agency plans to build 30-foot-tall […]
Read moreTucson Weekly (May 8, 2020) by Austin Counts The Arizona Trail Association is hoping the community will voice concern to help to stop construction of the border barriers near its southern trailhead through the Huachuca Mountains in Cochise County. And fast: The deadline is May 15. Customs and Border Protection officials announced plans to continue a 30-foot steel barrier across […]
Read moreAnyone who has visited the Highline Passage of the Arizona National Scenic Trail over the past few years will remember the ditch that bisected the trail near Geronimo Spring. The chasm has grown deeper and more dangerous with every storm, creating a significant safety hazard for trail users. Thanks to funding from the State of Arizona and a collaborative effort […]
Read moreA new report is now available from Arizona State Parks and Trails and the University of Arizona highlighting the economic value of trails to Arizona residents, based on the benefits to those using them. Economic Value of Trails in Arizona – A Travel Cost Method Study estimates statewide demand for motorized and non-motorized trails and highlights the importance of providing […]
Read morePayson Roundup (April 27, 2020) by Alexis Bechman Searching for a new spot to hike recently led to a wonderful discovery west of Payson. With many developed trailheads closed and looking for something outside the popular Payson Area Trail System (PATS), we set off down Main Street to the City Creek trailhead, near the Doll Baby Ranch. While I have […]
Read moreChicago Tribune (April 27, 2020) by Melanie Radzicki McManus Fat drops of rain tap out a mournful melody on the nylon ceiling stretched over my head. Peeking out from under a thick down quilt, I watch tiny rivulets of water drip down the sides of my tent and sigh. It’s not supposed to be raining here, at the entrance to […]
Read moreYesterday I spent a few hours exploring the Arizona Trail in southern Arizona. Ocotillo flowers created a bright red canopy while yellow brittlebush and pink penstemon decorated the desert floor. Everyone I encountered along the trail was smiling and enjoying a beautiful spring day outdoors. The trail was in great condition, and I noticed recent signs of tread repair and […]
Read moreThe Trek (April 6, 2020) by Effie Drew Through the Great Southwest is a newly released documentary film in which Darwin Rakestraw makes his directorial debut, in partnership with the Arizona Trail Association. The film follows the community behind the 800-mile Arizona National Scenic Trail (AZT) that spans the length of Arizona, between Mexico and Utah. A trail deeply diverse in […]
Read moreFlagstaff Business News (April 4, 2020) by V. Ronni Tierney Marathon hours of river running and hiking in the Grand Canyon can stir up more than just endorphins. For field biologist and outdoorswoman Lindsay Hupp, sweltering heat and canyon sweat inspired her to create a nutrition bar that is making a lot of people happy. The epiphany for nutritional fuel […]
Read moreBe aware of a temporary detour between 593.9 (Dog Food Trail Junction) and mile 592.4 (Old Weatherford Road) on Passage 34a of the Arizona National Scenic Trail due to forest thinning activities. Follow Forest Road 6275 (Old Weatherford Road) instead of AZT for 0.5-mile. Look for orange detour signs.
Read moreUSA Today (March 31, 2020) by Nicquel Terry Ellis and Weldon B. Johnson As social distancing guidelines continue another month and temperatures warm up in some regions, many Americans will search for safe outdoor activities. Medical experts say hiking is safe as long as you do it alone or with someone from your household at a trail or park that isn’t crowded. Some […]
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