Calling all military veterans, their families, and supporters…you are invited to participate in the first Arizona Trail Operation Freedom March. This year-long initiative starts July 4, 2025 and concludes on July 4, 2026, in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. Operation Freedom March challenges participants to hike, ride, or horseback ride sections of the Arizona National Scenic Trail until ALL 800 […]
Read moreKVOA (July 4, 2025) Arizona’s military community begins 800-mile trail adventure. Watch the Operation Freedom March promo, featured on KVOA-TV here.
Read moreDespite widespread outreach from members, donors, volunteers, gateway community representatives, and trail users like you, the Arizona Legislature did not include a single dollar for the Arizona Trail Fund in our state’s fiscal year 2026 budget. This fund was established in 2006 to support trail construction and maintenance, and is matched by private donations, federal grants, and volunteer labor contributions. […]
Read moreTreeline Review (June 26, 2025) by Meg Carney A fast-moving proposal in the U.S. Senate threatens to open the door to one of the largest public land sales in modern history. Buried within the Senate’s recent budget bill, a provision would require the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to sell off at least public lands they manage in 11 Western […]
Read moreThanks to supporters like you who contacted members of Congress, an amendment within the federal budget that would have sold off millions of acres that belongs to all Americans has been removed. By reaching out to your representatives and telling them how important National Forests, BLM lands, and the Arizona Trail are to you and future generations, we were able […]
Read moreMountain Getaway (June 27, 2025) Dotting America’s mountain towns, wilderness, and shores are incredible trails for trail runners. They often weave through state and national forests, over sweeping landscapes, and along shimmering bodies of water. It makes for a perfect way to enjoy some of the most beautiful parts of America while getting in a workout. It’s a win-win. But […]
Read moreCopper Area News (June 21, 2025) The Tri-Community has had two recent fires centered in or around the town of Oracle. Oracle Fire District personnel were joined by Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, along with CERT and Firewise volunteers, at the Firewise meeting in Oracle on June 11, 2025. Community members were also in attendance. The recent Cedar […]
Read moreArizona Republic (June 21, 2025) Click here for a gallery of images of California condors and where to see them in the wild, including along the Arizona Trail near Vermilion Cliffs National Monument!
Read moreArizona Republic (June 20, 2025) by Raphael Romero Ruiz U.S. Customs and Border Protection awarded more than $309 million to Fisher Sand and Gravel Co. to build 27 miles of border wall in Arizona’s Tucson Sector. This is the second contract for border wall construction awarded since President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. The new project will use […]
Read moreStuart Wayne Dunn, beloved husband, father, son, brother, and friend to many, passed away on June 14th, 2025 at the age of 65. Son to Betty Dunn Hathaway and Curtis Alvin Dunn, Jr., Stu grew up in Yuma, Arizona. He graduated in 1977 from Yuma High School and attended the University of Arizona, graduating in 1981 with a Bachelor of […]
Read morePayson Roundup (June 18, 2025) by Alexis Bechman An Eagar man injured while hiking the Arizona Trail was rescued last week by local search and rescue teams. Tonto Rim Search and Rescue (TRSAR) responded June 9 to a call to locate a missing 67-year-old hiker. He had been hiking Passage 25 of the Arizona Trail, a remote 23-mile stretch from […]
Read moreKGUN 9 (June 16, 2025) by Jim Spindle Summer months in the Sonoran Desert might be the most dangerous of the year, keeping search and rescue teams busy. Considering just how extreme our landscape and climate can be, the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Posse (CochiseSAR) invited me out to their monthly training and told me it’s a […]
Read moreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service recently signed the Arizona National Scenic Trail Comprehensive Plan. The plan establishes a long-term framework to guide the coordinated management of the 800-mile trail that spans Arizona from Mexico to Utah. Required by the National Trails System Act, the comprehensive plan outlines administrative objectives, policies, and management guidance for the Arizona National Scenic […]
Read moreArizona Daily Sun (June 11, 2025) by Sam McLaughlin Little America Hotel is in the process of rebuilding the fence line around its 530-acre property and will soon be closing off access to unauthorized but long-established social trails that crisscross the forested land. Tony O’Brien, vice president of operations for parent company Grand America Hotels and Resorts, said the change […]
Read moreIn addition to being a recreational destination that attracts hikers, runners, mountain bikers and equestrians from around the world, the Arizona National Scenic Trail (AZT) is a valuable resource for wildfire prevention, response and recovery. Fire Break Trails act as important fire breaks, often stopping the flames once they reach the trail as they run out of fuel. Some communities […]
Read morePayson Roundup (June 10, 2025) by Paul Aleshire A feel-good proclamation. A do-good grant application. Trails have become a hot topic all across Rim Country – from Payson to Pine. So Payson last week declared the second week in June to be “National Recreation Highline Trail Week.” Payson Ranger District Recreational Manager Angie Abel was on hand to dole out […]
Read moreazdailysun.com ~ PETER FRIEDERICI ~ June 9, 2025 The sight of a giant smoke plume on the horizon is one of those sights that I regard as quintessential Arizona. Having never encountered wildfire before I moved to the state, the idea that a swath of forest or grassland could suddenly be turned to charcoal and ash and threaten towns and […]
Read moreCycling West (June 7, 2025) by Charles Pekow Staff and budget cuts imposed by the Trump regime may mean fewer opportunities to ride on federal lands in the long run, but nobody knows how much, and people don’t even want to talk about it. National Parks Conservation Association representative Kati Schmidt gave Cycling West a statement saying, “Everyone, from cyclists […]
Read moreTucson Sentinel (June 5, 2025) by Paul Ingram As the Trump administration plans to erect 35 miles of new border barriers, environmentalists gathered last weekend in a Southern Arizona hamlet to trade food and songs during a bi-national “border happening.” Under the shade of large, decades-old cottonwood trees, a man from the nearby village of Santa Cruz, Sonora, played a […]
Read morewww.kold.com ~ By J.D. Wallace ~ Jun. 1, 2025 TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Recovery from the Cody Fire near Oracle continues as it approaches containment. The 1223-acre blaze is 90% contained. The effort around it has shifted to repairing the terrain, assisting vegetation and preventing flooding. As bad as the area within the Cody Fire looks, it’s considered a […]
Read morewww.backpacker.com ~ May 30, 2025 ~ Stasia Callaghan In the 50 years since the National Trails System Act was passed, more than 50,000 miles of trail have been designated. It is, as President Johnson envisioned, a network where “old and young alike can participate.” And it created something he probably couldn’t have imagined: a community of thru-hikers, section hikers, weekend […]
Read morethetrek.co~ MAY 20TH : GOOD ZEN Part 9: Oracle to Kearney: The Prometheus of Poo Much of the land after Oracle is a flat expanse between mountains. A good place for music, audiobooks, or conversation. The trail flew by for once, and with Mt. Lemmon a recent memory, Ice Cream and I were grateful to have some cruisy ground to […]
Read moreThis is the time of year when the Arizona State Legislature returns from recess to hammer out the final details of next year’s budget. We need your help to encourage them to dedicate funding for Arizona Trail maintenance and construction. There is a line item in our state budget for Arizona Trail Fund, and it is used to pay conservation […]
Read morewww.audubon.org ~ By Haley Paul Annual state budget needs to include funding that protects Arizona’s lands and waters- $250,000 from the General Fund for the Arizona Trail: The Arizona Trail spans 800 miles from the Utah border south to the border with Mexico, crossing important habitats for birds like Coopers Hawks and American Goshawks. The Trail is open to non-motorized […]
Read moreIn response to recent concerns about gastrointestinal illness along the Arizona Trail and potential causes being the Gila River and Remote Rainwater Collector, the ATA took water samples to a local laboratory for analysis. Results can be found here: Gila River – Passage 16 Rainwater Collector – Passage 17 The only alarming result is the presence of E. coli in […]
Read moreFrom May 4-10, we are celebrating the deserts, mountains, canyons, forests, lakes, streams, and trails that make Arizona such an incredible place to live, work, play and explore. Today, we are encouraging you to stand up for public lands, which are currently being threatened. The time for you to take action is NOW. There are members of Congress pushing for […]
Read moreVisit Arizona (April 21, 2025) As the city where Pluto was discovered, Flagstaff is famous for its dark skies. And as this episode of “Arizona Revealed” shows, it’s also beloved as a four-season destination where the changing seasons set life’s cadence. Featuring the Arizona Trail, Lowell Observatory, Museum of Northern Arizona, and Arizona Nordic Village, click here to watch this […]
Read moreDid you get sick while visiting the Arizona National Scenic Trail in the 2025 spring season? The Arizona Department of Health Services is following up on reports of people with gastrointestinal illness while hiking the Arizona Trail this spring. This online survey will help gather information from individuals that were sick with a gastrointestinal illness after visiting the Arizona National […]
Read moreThe Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) reminds the public to protect themselves and their pets by keeping a safe distance from wildlife, especially animals that may be behaving abnormally, such as those that appear aggressive and/or lacking a fear of humans. The reminder comes as an increasing number of rabies-related incidents have been reported statewide. A recent Arizona Department […]
Read moreKVOA (April 14, 2025) by Zachary Johnson Over the weekend, U.S. Border Patrol agents successfully rescued two U.S. citizens stranded in the remote deserts of Southern Arizona. On Saturday, Tucson Sector BORSTAR agents, alongside the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, responded to a hiker near the Superstition Mountains who reported a potentially broken ankle. A rescue team aboard Pinal Air 1 […]
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