AZ Trail News

USA Today by Mark Lebetkin A seemingly endless series of storms turned much of the U.S. into a nation of shut-ins this past winter, so it comes as more than just a breath of fresh air that the mercury is beginning to rise above freezing: it’s an invitation to dig those hiking boots out of the closet and hit the […]

FoxPhoenix.com A Tucson woman is hiking along the Arizona Trail to bring awareness and raise funds. “I am doing it to raise awareness of the trail itself and to raise twenty thousand dollars for the Arizona Trail Association to help maintain promote and protect the trail,” said Sirena Dufault. [To watch the video report, click here.]

The Desert Leaf “Day Tripping” by Bill Norman If this “Day Tripping” columnist could complete a hike of 817 miles in 24 hours or less, a miracle would have been wrought. Instead, I hiked five miles as part of a particularly momentous foot journey from the border with Mexico north to Utah. The 800-plus-miles trek follows the route of the […]

Ahwatukee Foothills News by Jason P. Skoda I am training for my fifth Grand Canyon hike and third trip to Havasupai Falls. In doing so I wanted to find a new hike instead of my usual trek around South Mountain starting out at the 48th St. entrance. It’s beautiful and challenging in some areas, but I wanted something new. And […]

The Arizona Republic by Connie Cone Sexton Fifty-two miles into Sirena Dufault’s quest to walk the entire 820-mile Arizona National Scenic Trail, the tongue of her right shoe pulled out. She could only laugh about it, hoping it might be the worst thing that happens during the 10 weeks or so she has mapped out for the trek. Dufault, 40, […]

CopperArea.com by John Hernandez The Arizona Trail Association is currently involved in a fundraising campaign to support the future of the Arizona National Scenic Trail. The funds will go toward trail maintenance and protection; repairing segments of trail damaged by wildfire and erosion; installation of steel gates that keep motorized vehicles off the trail; and map printing and distribution. The […]

Tail Winds Magazine by Elaine Mariolle “Your Complete Guide to the Arizona National Scenic Trail” is a spectacular guide written by Matthew J. Nelson, executive director of Arizona Trail Association, and is a must-have for hikers, equestrians and cyclists who wish to explore the more than 800 miles of trail, that stretches from the United States-Mexico border to the Utah […]

AmericanTrails.org by Matthew Nelson Arizona — the very word evokes images of breathtaking landscapes, exotic animals, star-filled skies, and dramatic sunsets. From rolling grasslands and lush Sonoran Desert to alpine peaks and one of the world’s deepest canyons, it is a land of biodiversity unlike anywhere else on Earth. [To read the rest of this article, click here.]

Hike, bike or ride via horseback through the state’s varied terrain, from Southern Arizona to the Grand Canyon Arizona Guide by Tim Vanderpool It was 1985 when a plucky schoolteacher named Dale Shewalter trekked the length of Arizona, from Nogales to the Utah line. Shewalter’s goal was simple: to showcase his dream of connecting disparate trails into a single route […]

FoxPhoenix.com A Tucson woman is preparing for a trek of a lifetime. She plans to hike 817 miles from the Mexico border, across the State of Arizona, to Utah. It’s all for a good cause to raise awareness and money for the Arizona National Scenic Trail. [To read the rest of this article, click here.]

Arizona Hiking Ever dreamed about what it would be like to hike the entire 800-mile Arizona Trail from Mexico to Utah? Here’s your chance to see how it’s done and sample the thrills with an expert. [To read the rest of this article, click here.]

Arizona Highways The 817-mile Arizona Trail, officially completed in 2011, runs from the U.S.-Mexico border to the Utah state line. It’s an imposing trek, and while many people use various sections of the trail for day hikes, only a hardy few attempt to hike the entire trail at once. [To read the rest of this article, click here.]

Arizona Trail Association Tucson, Arizona by Sirena Dufault It took 30 years for the dream of the Arizona Trail to become a reality, and in 2011 the cross-state trail was completed, linking deserts, mountains, canyons, forests, communities and people. [To read the rest of this press release, click here.]

Arizona Daily Sun by Randy Wilson Bare winters in Flagstaff can be endured — providing you are willing to change equipment. That was my motto last Saturday as I switched out skis for a mountain bike at 9,000 feet on the Arizona Trail. It’s a February ride I had never expected to take — and probably won’t ever take again. […]

Mountain Flyer Magazine by Cass Gilbert If you don’t have time to ride all 800 miles of the Arizona Trail, then try the more compact Gila River Ramble, which borrows some of the very best sections of the AZT as its backbone. The main loop is about 80 miles in length, but there are various interconnecting spurs and trails to […]

Dirt Rag by Ross Downard In this day and age in the Lower 48, true adventure is getting harder to find, and going out and getting lost is almost a thing of the past. Hermosa Tours has found a way to put this kind of uncertainty back in the Sonoran Desert, specifically in a one-hundred-mile section of the Arizona Trail […]

Examiner.com by Denise Meredith Arizona, a relatively new state, is not known for valuing history. So it is refreshing when an organization takes the time to recognize an accomplishment that is not related to sports or entertainment. In a ceremony that was both jubilant and moving, on Saturday, February 1, 2014, the Arizona Trail Association (ATA) celebrated its 20th anniversary […]

Desert Harvest by Donna Derosia The February edition of The Fence Post (a community newsletter for the Robles Junction/Three Points community) features an article on the Arizona National Scenic Trail and the new guidebook. [To read the complete article online, click here]

Arizona Daily Star by Tony Davis It’s been known for a well over a year now that a jaguar has been photographed in the Santa Rita Mountains, near the proposed Rosemont Mine site. But only a little more than a week ago, volunteers for the Tucson conservation group Sky Island Alliance found and photographed the first jaguar tracks to have […]

Arizona Daily Star by Douglas Kreutz You can hike just a few miles on the Arizona National Scenic Trail — or trek its entire length of about 817 miles from Mexico to Utah. In either case, a comprehensive, richly illustrated new guidebook could enhance your experience. “Your Complete Guide to the Arizona National Scenic Trail,” by Matthew J. Nelson and […]

National Trails Guide Having completed the Triple Crown and most recently the Arizona National Scenic Trail, Fred Gaudet has been given a unique moniker on behalf of his accomplishments: “Triple Crown with a Desert Jewel!” Fred persevered through plenty of physical and natural challenges until he reached his goals. We interviewed him on behalf of our National Trails Guide fans […]

Flagstaff Business News by Bonnie Stevens It may well have been Northern Arizona’s first ultimate wildland adventure for tourists and the start of organized tourism in Flagstaff. In 1892, the Flagstaff Board of Trade, in partnership with the railroad, promoted the Stagecoach Line from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon. Public relations efforts included a free trip for travel writers, who […]

Arizona Daily Sun by Eric Betz The mercury hit a frigid 21 degrees in Flagstaff on Saturday, leading to a chilly morning for those braving the cold to celebrate NAU’s 89th Annual Homecoming. But for a group of hardcore runners participating in the first Stagecoach 100-mile Ultra, the low temperatures were a major obstacle to completing a race from the […]

Tail Winds Magazine by Emily Gindlesparger “Did I ever tell you what ‘ass’ stands for?” Leigh Anne Thrasher asks me in her lilting Texan dialect as we’re driving carefully on Catalina Highway. When she’s not pulling the trailer on back, with the precious cargo of Jasmine the donkey inside, she admits she drives like a maniac, her pink-polished nails gripping […]

Mountain Flyer Magazine by Eszter Horanyi People race for different reasons. Some like to suffer. Some like the camaraderie. Some like to geek out on gear. I race in search of flow, for that Zen-like state in which time ceases to have meaning and I am completely immersed in the present moment. Few races this year have created such a […]

Outside Magazine by Aaron Gulley In April, I rode 300 miles in a through-push on the Arizona Trail in an annual bikepacking race that bills itself as “No entry fee, no prizes, absolutely no support.” Friends and family asked me why I did it—why I do any of these endurance races. Everyone acts like there’s some quick, straightforward answer. For […]