On April 10th, 2019, 10 students from Miami High School left for what would become a very adventurous day in the Pinal Mountains near Miami Arizona. Our goal for the day was to hike a tough trail into the north-facing slope, allowing us to challenge our bodies, and experience what steep changes in terrain can do to the surrounding ecosystems […]
Read moreOn February 13, 2019, 10 students from Miami High School explored a nearby section of the Arizona National Scenic Trail to hike and to enjoy some nature. This is the second time we made the long drive from Tucson to Miami/Globe, leaving our home base while it was still dark. It’s all worth it, though! After arriving to the school […]
Read moreOn April 12th, 2019, 10 students from Kino School left for an adventure into the Santa Catalina Mountains. On previous expeditions this group had explored the lower canyons, gaining key insight into the effects large mountains have on the low Sonoran Desert areas. Now, we were heading to the top in order to observe and explore the mixed coniferous forests […]
Read moreOn April 18 and 19, 40 total 4th-grade students from Mt.Vista Elementary School left their town in Oracle to Venture into the Santa Catalina Mountains for a day of stewardship. This marked the 10th combined expedition between the two groups, a final trip to cap the season. Each trip prior had been one filled with amazing adventure, so much learning, […]
Read moreOn May 2, 2019, 7 students from City High School embarked on a mission to help repair The Arizona Trail. We had heard rumors of trail obstructions on Oracle Ridge Trail that had occurred during the late winter storms, and planned to scout the area in case it needed repair. Our previous trips were filled with hiking and adventure, using […]
Read moreOn May 8th, 2019, 6 students from Miami High School set out from their air-conditioned classrooms and ventured into the heat of the desert for a day of trail work. After four previous adventurous expeditions, the students were excited to be equipped with tools and learn how to maintain and repair trail. We decided to hike North from Picket Post […]
Read moreOn May 3rd, 2019, 12 students from Kino School began a day dedicated to stewardship on The Arizona Trail. Our four previous expeditions were dedicated to hiking, exploring, and learning about Sonoran Desert landscapes. Trails allowed to enter and learn about these places, which otherwise would be inaccessible. Most often we do not think about the trail under our feet, […]
Read moreOutside (July 25, 2019) by Megan Michelson Whether you’re still reeling from Marc Peruzzi’s attack on trail runners or just fired up to prove that you do, in fact, love volunteer trail work, we thought we’d make it even easier to donate your time to an upcoming work day by compiling a number of ways to give back to some favorite recreation spots. It doesn’t […]
Read moreOn November 1st, 2018, 5 students from City High School ventured up the Santa Catalina Mountains for an adventure in the high pine forests that floated above Tucson. This was a literacy class, with the goals of increasing the reading interest and levels, of students while being in the outdoors. Using the Arizona Trail, we began our hike from Marshal […]
Read moreOn January 9th, 2019, 10 students from Kino School went on an adventure to learn about the low Sonoran Desert environment. Together on a cloudy winter day, we hiked through Pima Canyon, a riparian area within the southwestern extent of the Santa Catalina Mountains. This being the first expedition of the semester, our goal was to begin getting to […]
Read moreAZ Central (July 18, 2019) by Mare Czinar Wildflower season is in full bloom in Flagstaff’s Dry Lake Hills area. Recent logging and forest-clearing operations that had closed many of the trails that meander through the diverse terrain of Coconino National Forest — north of 9,299-foot Mount Elden — are gradually finishing up, and several paths are now open. One particularly productive wildflower […]
Read moreOn September 12th, 2018, 13 students from Imago Dei Middle School embarked on an adventure into the Santa Catalina Mountains using Sunset Trailhead. This was the first expedition of the season for this group of students, and one they were sure to remember for a long time. The students were ready for an adventure wearing uniforms and huge excited smiles. Our […]
Read moreNavajo-Hopi Observer (July 9, 2019) by Stan Bindell FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Sandy Canyon is an easy hike minutes from Flagstaff that offers canyons, meadows, caves, flowers and butterflies. The great part of Sandy Canyon is that the three mile hike is not long and it is part of the Arizona Trail. Hikers can do as little or as much as […]
Read moreKNAU Arizona Public Radio (July 9, 2019) by Ryan Heinsius Arizona Republican Senator Martha McSally wants to become the first member of Congress to hike the full length of a federally designated national scenic trail. She recently hiked a seven-mile section of the Arizona Trail on a visit to Flagstaff. KNAU’s Ryan Heinsius reports. McSally laced up her hiking shoes […]
Read moreArizona Daily Sun (July 7, 2019) by Sam McManis Scoffing locals who eye-roll with impunity at flatlanders invading Flagstaff and (gasp, gasp) trying to acclimate on the trails probably will have a good laugh at me — a newcomer who lived in Central Washington, 1,200 feet elevation, for three years and, before that, spent a decade in the Sacramento Valley […]
Read moreFlagstaff Business News (July 6, 2019) by FBN Efforts have aligned to improve the outdoor experience for hikers, bicyclists and equestrians seeking to discover Northern Arizona’s wide-open spaces. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Babbitt Ranches, Coconino County and the Arizona Trail Association (ATA) grants permission and identifies resources to develop and maintain a trail along a nearly 13-mile stretch […]
Read moreArizona Daily Sun, July 5, 2019, Sam McManis If there is a single jagged rock jutting up on a dusty path, my feet will somehow find it. If there’s an exposed root, a lone gnarled bit of bark running across a trail, I will trip over it. And if there’s a steep and twisting downhill, no matter how well-groomed the […]
Read moreArizona Daily Sun (July 5, 2019) by Scott Buffon Forest Service officials suspect a person is at fault for the Chimney Springs Fire near the Arizona Scenic Trail on Wednesday. Authorities do not know what specifically started the fire near where the Arizona Trail connects to the Schultz Creek Trail. The Schultz Creek Trail is still closed due to […]
Read moreBabbitt Ranches Footnotes Babbitt Ranches Singletrack Project June 2019
Read moreAZ Central (June 21, 2019) by Aubrey Carpenter It may be a little early to start thinking about rehabilitating hiking trails while the 66,000-acre Woodbury fire continues to burn, but plans are already in process to restore one of the key trails facing the flames. More than 40 hiking trails are within the wildfire closure area, either entirely or a portion of it, which prevents […]
Read moreArizona Daily Sun (June 19, 2019) by Cody Bashore As the clock hit midnight Wednesday morning at City Hall, the Flagstaff City Council unanimously passed an ordinance allowing most electronic bicycles on the Flagstaff Urban Trails System. The amended ordinance, initially voted on at the June 4 meeting, allows class one and two e-bikes the same privileges as regular bicycles. […]
Read moreOutside – Trail Life (June 15, 2019) by Mary Beth Skylis The Arizona Trail (AZT) spans 800 miles from Mexico to Utah, winding through deserts, mountains, forests, and canyons. Elevation ranges from 1,700 to 9,148 feet. It’s challenging to complete the AZT at any speed, much less Jeff Garmire’s fastest known time (FKT) of 15 days, 13 hours, and 10 […]
Read moreChilson Spring and Hopi Spring were renovated in October 2018
Read moreWe had 7 hearty souls who showed up for the Huachuca Mountains – Annual AZT Maintenance Event – Passage 1C to escape the heat for the weekend at the Miller Peak Wilderness in the Huachuca Mountains, one of the scenic Sky Islands of southern Arizona. This is the land of manzanita, oak, juniper, firs and pines with sweeping views across […]
Read moreReader’s Digest (June 11, 2019) by Mallory Creveling You can’t beat the views and the bucket list experience of the South Kaibab Trail in Grand Canyon National Park, arguably one of the best hiking trails in the country. It starts at Yaki Point on the South Rim, then one mile in, you’ll reach Ooh-Aah Point—perfectly named for how you’ll […]
Read moreSierra Magazine (June 2, 2019) by Megan Hill Before Jean Taggart left home to conquer the 800-mile Arizona Trail last year, she made a detailed spreadsheet to organize her resupply provisions. To update friends and family on her progress, she bought a Garmin inReach Mini, which is a GPS and satellite messenger. She poured over hiker blogs and absorbed detailed […]
Read moreArizona Jewish Post (May 31, 2019) Israeli elite mountain bike racer Chanoch Redlich won the 750-mile Arizona Trail Race, a self-supported ride that stretches from Mexico to Utah. Redlich won this year’s ride in just over eight days, riding in 20-22 hour stretches with two to four hours of sleep before the next stretch. Redlich stayed at the home of […]
Read moreMay 28th, 2019, twenty-three students from Ms. Patterson’s class at Flagstaff Junior Academy finally had a well deserved trip to Griffith’s Spring to remove invasive species and study water health. The previous day, students participated in several simulations to look at both how invasive species disrupt an ecosystem and the way energy flows from producers, to primary, secondary, and […]
Read moreWe are delighted to offer the third in a series of commemorative mugs celebrating the natural beauty of the Arizona National Scenic Trail! This handmade mug features a scene from the Kaibab Plateau Passage of the AZT near the North Rim of Grand Canyon, including lush meadows, dense fir forests, and an American bison. This was the first segment of […]
Read moreBackpacker Radio (May 24, 2019) Episode 38 In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, myself plus a very special guest co-host are joined by Legend. He’s back, and does he have new stories to share. We chat all about his previous year, which was arguably busier than anyone in the backpacking world, including his Great Western Loop, a 7,000 mile hike, […]
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