Welcome to the Arizona Trail

This is the time of year when the Arizona State Legislature hammers 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 corps and other state-approved contractors to conduct major maintenance and trail construction projects on the Arizona National Scenic Trail. Can we count on you...

Beginning October 15, 2026, a section of the North Kaibab Trail in Grand Canyon National Park will close to all public access for critical pipeline rehabilitation work on the Transcanyon Waterline. The closure area will be between Redwall Bridge (2.5 miles north of Manzanita Rest Area) and the northern end of Cottonwood Campground. This hard closure will remain in place through approximately February 2027. There are no alternative routes or detours available through this section of trail. This closure is...

Whether you’re hiking, running, biking, riding, or rolling along the Arizona Trail, wrap yourself in one of these versatile and stylish neck gaiters. Our new design for Spring 2026 features a colorful pollinator motif, with hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, and blooming wildflowers. It’s the ultimate trail accessory! Some of the many uses include: sun guard/wind guard for your neck and ears moisture wicking keeps you cool headband mask or face covering scrunchie/hairband hat wristband scarf The tubular design is super stretchy...

Beginning Monday, April 13, the Arizona National Scenic Trail is closed between the southern terminus at Border Monument 102 and the Joe's Canyon Trail junction at mile 1.0. Due to construction activities associated with Dept. of Homeland Security's border wall within Coronado National Memorial, the southernmost mile of the AZT is closed until further notice (likely through the end of 2027). Current plans include construction of two 30-foot-tall steel barriers, with a 150-foot-wide road in between. Visitors are warned not...

In celebration of Arizona Public Lands Day this Saturday, April 4, conservation leaders are urging residents to take a closer look at what’s at stake for the state’s public lands. A newly released report, Fiscal Impact of Transferring Federal Lands to Arizona, raises awareness about the significant economic and fiscal risks associated with state legislative proposals to transfer federally managed lands to state control. Backed by the Arizona Trail Association, Arizona Wildlife Federation, and The Nature Conservancy – and conducted by the Grand...

The Coronado National Forest, Pima County, and Arizona Trail Association have announced a temporary detour of the Arizona National Scenic Trail (AZT) near the community of Summerhaven due to a construction project at the Marshall Gulch Trailhead. This detour will go into effect immediately and will remain in place until August 1, 2026. This impacts AZT Passages 11 (Santa Catalina Mountains), 12 (Red Ridge), and the Pusch Ridge Wilderness Bypass. For those hiking northbound: From Marshall Saddle at FarOut NOBO...

Results from Colorado College’s 16th annual State of the Rockies Project Conservation in the West Poll released today show widespread concern among Western voters about rollbacks of protections for land, water, and wildlife and cuts to funding for public land management. The poll, which surveyed voters in eight Mountain West states—Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming—found that Western voters across party lines are prioritizing conservation, recreation, and renewables over fossil fuel development heading into this year's...

Starting March 15, Grand Canyon National Park will be issuing walk-up permits for AZT thru-hikers at Bright Angel Campground. Here are the walk-up permit procedures, specifically for AZT thru-hikers: Head to the South Rim Backcountry Information Center, located within Grand Canyon Village. If it is March 15 or later, inform the Ranger that you are thru-hiking the AZT and would like a walk-up permit for Bright Angel Campground at the stock site. The Backcountry Office usually book permits for the...

Wildflower are blooming across the Sonoran Desert, signaling an early start to Spring. This is shaping up to be a spectacular season for thru-hiking and biking the Arizona National Scenic Trail! However, 25.5 miles of the AZT within Grand Canyon National Park remain closed due to impacts from the Dragon Bravo Fire. Some exciting news is that 6 miles of the inner canyon will reopen on March 4 -- between Phantom Ranch and Ribbon Falls. Rerouting around the Grand Canyon...

As the Arizona Legislature kicked off its session in January, State Senator Wendy Rogers introduced SB1041. If passed, this bill will appropriate $500,000 to the Arizona Trail Fund. Established in 2006 to support Arizona Trail maintenance and construction, the Fund has only received intermittent support, but we are hopeful that after $0 in 2025 and $100,000 in 2024 that it will pass with overwhelming support. Rogers represents LD7, lives in Flagstaff, and is a frequent hiker on the Arizona Trail....

We are proud to announce the successful installation of the third remote rainwater collector along a particularly arid segment of the Arizona Trail, at Redington Pass on the Coronado National Forest. This steel structure contains a 1,500-gallon poly tank that fills with rain during the winter and will support hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians during the spring season. It will refill with summer monsoon storms for use during the autumn season. Once the tank is full, the excess flows into...

The Dragon Bravo Fire has forced 25.5 miles of the Arizona Trail to close from the Clear Creek Trail junction just north of Phantom Ranch to the Kaibab Plateau Trailhead at the Park/Forest boundary along Forest Road 610. Highway 67 is closed south of the Kaibab National Forest/Grand Canyon National Park boundary. Please avoid the AZT within Grand Canyon National Park's North Rim until further notice, and check back for updates.

On Wednesday, September 17, U.S. Representative Paul Gosar introduced a bill that would abolish the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of Grand Canyon National Monument near Grand Canyon National Park. This is a direct attack on America’s public lands and the Arizona National Scenic Trail. Please join us today in opposing this dangerous legislation. Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni National Monument was designated in 2023, led by the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition with support from a diverse coalition of organizations,...

The US Department of Agriculture recently announced plans to rescind the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, a popular policy that has protected nearly 45 million acres of National Forests across 42 states. Rolling back the Roadless Rule would open the door to logging, road construction, and development—threatening the outdoor experiences we treasure, and undermining the shared legacy of our public lands. This could have a direct impact on the Arizona National Scenic Trail, as there are inventoried roadless areas on 1 million...

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 MILES have collectively been covered by our community. Participants can choose any time over the next year to complete their selected...

Despite 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. Over the years, the fund has received anywhere from $100,000 to $500,000, and there have been some years where no...

Thanks 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 to keep public lands in public lands -- not sold to the highest bidder. THANK YOU for your support and...

The 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 Trail. The plan supports future stewardship actions by the Forest Service and partners, including landowners, land managers, and volunteer organizations,...

In 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 are building recreational trails around their towns to simultaneously increase fire breaks and provide recreational opportunities. Fuels Reduction ATA volunteers...

In 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 the Gila River. This is no surprise, since cattle are found in abundance along the river. A recent survey also...