Payson Roundup (Nov 16, 2021) by Payson Roundup Staff Work is underway to improve the Highline National Recreation Trail (Highline Trail) on the Tonto National Forest. In September 2021, Tonto officials announced plans to improve and re-route portions of the Highline National Recreation Trail (Highline Trail) along with portions of the Arizona National Scenic Trail and trails in the communities […]
Read moreBackpacking Routes (Nov 8, 2021) by Hugh Owen Smartphone trail apps have become ubiquitous on hiking trails, providing real-time information about water sources, fire closures, hostels and shuttles to them. Their explosive growth raises a question: Are printed guidebooks on the way out? Not so fast, says Matthew J. Nelson, executive director of the Arizona Trail Association. “We have found […]
Read moreArizona Republic (November 2, 2021) by Mare Czinar Sometimes, surprisingly fine escapes can be found just steps from busy byways in right-under-your-nose places. Bushnell Tanks Road, off the Beeline Highway (State Route 87) roughly halfway between Mesa and Payson is one such find. Much of the road parallels part of the course of the Pine Mountain Passage 21 of the Arizona […]
Read moreFor the past four years, we’ve invited the Arizona Trail community to help us complete the entire length of the Arizona Trail in 24 hours through our ambitious AZT in a DAY initiative. This year, on October 9, at least 431 people participated. There were 357 hikers, 30 runners, 17 mountain bikers, and 27 equestrians. At least 91 family and friends […]
Read moreRunners World (October 25, 2021) by Taylor Dutch After dedicating years of intense study to earning a Ph.D. in environmental science, Lydia Jennings couldn’t wait to celebrate at her graduation in May 2020. But like most major events during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the program’s ceremony at the University of Arizona was canceled. Instead of receiving her diploma […]
Read moreThe AZT’s main hiking route through the Pusch Ridge Wilderness is open. However, portions of the Bug Springs and Butterfly Trail remain closed due to the Bighorn Fire. These trails are the main route for mountain bikers on the AZT. Please review this map before beginning your journey: BHFTrailClosure09302021_1054
Read moreThe Desert Leaf (October 2021) by Linda Brewer Some people hike the Arizona Trail (AZT) in sections, called “passages,” accumulating a couple of hundred miles each year. Some people–the valiant thru-hikers–do it all in one go, with or without a support crew. Since 2017 there has been another way to complete the trail, the many-feet-walking method known as Arizona Trail […]
Read moreEarlier this year we asked active members of the Arizona Trail Association to participate in a survey to help inform our organization’s Strategic Plan for 2022-2026. A total of 763 ATA members took the survey (that’s more than 33%) and shared their thoughts and opinions about the greatest assets and challenges facing the trail and the ATA. Both quantitative and […]
Read morePhil Garcia 02/01/1968 – 09/25/2021 Phoenix, Arizona An avid hiker and trail steward, Phil Garcia enjoyed spending time in the outdoors of Arizona. Phil is survived by his wife Vikki, and children Cori and Wes. Phil was an avid traveler with his family, and loved hiking/backpacking, photography, DIY projects, and playing sand volleyball. He volunteered his time as a Phoenix Park Steward, […]
Read moreVelo News (September 29, 2021) by Betsy Welch On Christmas Eve of 2018, ultra-endurance mountain biker Kait Boyle wasn’t sure if she would ever walk again. Two years later, she set a fastest known time record (FKT) on the 137-mile Kokopelli Trail, a remote and arduous route between Moab, Utah, and Loma, Colorado. The new film Fastest For Now chronicles […]
Read moreThe Trek (September 28, 2021) by David Smith When you live in Phoenix, you escape what feels like endless summer by going to the mountains. Generally that means going to AZT country, either the Mongollon Rim or Flagstaff. A few days ago, we spent a few nights car camping near Mormon Lake, and I had the opportunity to do some […]
Read moreOn September 20, the Arizona Trail Association released a three-minute video essay featuring a diverse collection of outdoor enthusiasts urging Arizona’s US Senators to protect the Arizona National Scenic Trail by fighting climate change. The video includes inspiring imagery from various passages along the Arizona National Scenic Trail as well as footage of wildfires and extreme weather events that threaten the […]
Read moreArizona Republic (September 16, 2021) by Mare Czinar Slung between the edge-hugging dirt track of Schultz Pass Road and the sheer foothills below Mount Elden, Schultz Creek Trail rolls out like an emerald half-pipe. Because of its fluid, north-south track, hairpin turns and mild jumps, the historic route in the Mount Elden-Dry Lakes Hills area just a few miles north […]
Read moreNational Parks Traveler (September 10, 2021) by Barbara “Bo” Jensen Here at the border of Wyoming and Montana, Bad Pass Trail is all but invisible to me. It winds across the upper reaches of the Pryor Mountains through Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. Road signs note I’ve crossed the trail, but I cannot see it stretching 50 miles from the […]
Read moreAugust 26th marked the first Seeds of Stewardship outing of the 2021-2022 school year! In fact, it was the first outing we’ve gotten to do with a school group since the lockdown started in March 2020. It was wonderful to once again bring the classroom outdoors. SoS instructors met Flagstaff Junior Academy fifth graders in Mrs. Chapman’s classroom for an […]
Read moreRegister today to hike, run or ride a segment of the 800-mile Arizona Trail, and help make history as we attempt to complete the entire trail in one day. Together, we can do it! Choose your segment and register for free today by visiting our AZT in a DAY event page. If you have any questions, please email karrie@aztrail.org.
Read moreBusiness Facilities Magazine (August 18, 2021) The coronavirus pandemic has forced everyone to rethink just about everything we do. It also has accelerated tectonic shifts in our cultural landscape, mostly for the better. We’re not going to use the word “woke”—which has become a political pejorative—but it does seem like most of us have abruptly woken up in the middle […]
Read moreWe are excited to announce the release of our Summer 2021 long sleeve tech shirts and cycling jerseys, featuring an original design from Shannon Villegas inspired by the San Francisco Peaks Passage of the AZT. All proceeds from the sale of this product will directly benefit mountain bike projects on the AZT, including rollover gates, singletrack construction to replace roads, […]
Read moreAuburn Examiner (August 4, 2021) by Lindsay Hicks When soldiers return from deployment and hang up their combat fatigues, a different kind of baggage sometimes lingers within that they can’t easily pack away. For some, connecting with nature provides the best respite from the weight that baggage brings. Flashbacks, hypervigilance, avoidance, survivor’s guilt, irritability, lack of trust, severe anxiety—these are […]
Read moreBackpacking Routes (August 2, 2021) by Hugh Owen Jordan Todoroff tried three times in the summer of 2020 to take backpacking trips near his home in the San Francisco Bay Area, but each time was turned back by wildfires. He was shut out again by fires twice this year. Jordan isn’t alone as wildfires fueled by years of drought are […]
Read moreConnor David McKnight Born in Spokane, WA and resided in Flagstaff, AZ 7/11/1996 – 6/28/2021 Trail Name: Ragebow Charismatic, creative, and funny, Connor drew smiles across anyone’s face that met him with his disheveled hair, his 6’4″ stature, and his contagious smile. An enigma personified. Conversations with Connor were vast and intricate, much like the landscapes he traveled across. His preferred conversations […]
Read moreNow that monsoons have returned (with a vengeance), it’s important to avoid wet trails. As tempting as it may be to head for the hills after a storm, the hard work that our trail stewards and volunteers do to maintain the Arizona Trail can be destroyed when people hike and ride on muddy trails. The damage that feet, tires and […]
Read moreBackpacker (July 14, 2021) by Maggie Slepian Long-distance hikers face a short window to finish their treks. Climate change could close it even further. For a few years, I’ve had the Colorado Trail on my radar. Its 500-mile length is ideal for a summer thru-hike for me, and with an average elevation of over 10,000 feet, it seemed like the perfect […]
Read moreHave you ever wanted to learn more about what happens at ATA volunteer events? Whether you’re just curious and want to know more before you come or you’re a regular volunteer who wants to know more about why we’re digging in that particular spot, the videos created for our Video Trail Skills Institute are just what you need! If you watch […]
Read moreFlagstaff Business News (July 5, 2021) by Bonnie Stevens Billy Cordasco and Ryan Butler sat on a hilltop behind Cedar Ranch and watched as the Slate Fire pushed its way east through juniper, pinyon and ponderosa pine forest from Highway 180 toward the historic ranch house, barn, wells and pipeline north of the San Francisco Peaks. Cordasco, president and general […]
Read moreWorld Atlas (July 1, 2021) Arizona is located in the southwestern region of the United States. The State has diverse geography featuring volcanoes, mountains, canyons, plateaus, and deserts. Situated in the central part of the US State of Arizona, mostly within Gila County is the majestic Theodore Roosevelt Lake. This large lake is located in the Salt River Valley about 130km […]
Read morePathways Across America (Spring 2021) The cover of the Spring 2021 issue of Pathways Across America, the quarterly magazine of the Partnership for the National Trails System, features an image from the Arizona Trail Association’s Seeds of Stewardship program!
Read moreThe Trek (June 23, 2021) by Kelly Floro Wildfires currently raging across Arizona have prompted full closures of several national forests within the state in the interest of public safety. The move effectively shuts down 300 miles of the Arizona Trail in the northern part of the state. Kaibab, Coconino, and Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests announced the closures on Tuesday afternoon, […]
Read moreArizona Daily Sun (Jun 22, 2021) by Sam McManis Whenever I step foot on a passage of the Arizona Trail, especially a segment that’s somewhat remote, I think about all those hardy (crazy?) thru-hikers who have traversed the 800-mile trail, in toto. How were they feeling at this point in their epic trek? Were they dehydrated, blister-sore and cursing the […]
Read moreAssociated Press (June 22, 2021) A 71-year-old hiker reported missing on Mount Lemmon has been found dead, authorities said Tuesday. Pima County Sheriff’s officials said the body of John “Jack” Menard was located about three miles northwest of the Gordon Hirabayahsi Campground. Menard started hiking the Arizona Trail on June 17 in Oracle and planned to hike from American Flag […]
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