The Arizona National Scenic Trail (AZT) is a

National Scenic Trail The National Trails System is a series of trails in the United States designated "to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the Nati ...

from

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

that traverses the whole north–south length of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

. The trail begins at the Coronado National Memorial near the US–Mexico border and moves north through parts of the Huachuca, Santa Rita, and Rincon Mountains. The trail continues through the Santa Catalina north of

Tucson Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...

and the Mazatzal Mountains before ascending the

Mogollon Rim The Mogollon Rim ( or or ) is a topography, topographical and geological feature cutting across Northern Arizona, the northern half of the U.S. state of Arizona. It extends approximately , starting in northern Yavapai County, Arizona, Yavapa ...

north of Payson, and eventually leading to the higher elevations of

Northern Arizona Northern Arizona is an unofficial, colloquially defined region of the U.S. state of Arizona. Generally consisting of Apache, Coconino, Mohave, Navajo, and Yavapai counties, the region is geographically dominated by the Colorado Plateau, the ...

and the San Francisco Peaks. The trail then continues across the

Coconino Plateau The Coconino Plateau is found south of the Grand Canyon and north-northwest of Flagstaff, in northern Arizona of the Southwestern United States. Geography The Coconino Plateau lies south of Grand Canyon Village and the South Rim of the Grand ...

and in and out of the

Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a mile (). The canyon and adjacent rim are contained within Grand Canyon Nati ...

. The Arizona Trail terminates near the Arizona–Utah border in the Kaibab Plateau region. The long Arizona Trail was completed on December 16, 2011. The trail is designed as a primitive trail for

hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...

equestrians Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding ( Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...

mountain biking Mountain biking (MTB) is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability ...

, and even cross country skiing, showcasing the wide variety of mountain ranges and ecosystems of Arizona. The idea for the trail was originally developed and promoted in 1985 by Dale Shewalter, a

Flagstaff, Arizona Flagstaff ( ), known locally as Flag, is the county seat of Coconino County, Arizona, in the southwestern United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 76,831. Flagstaff is the principal city of the Coconino Cou ...

, teacher. The Arizona Trail was designated as a National Scenic Trail on March 30, 2009 by the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. It forms part of the shortened version of the Great Western Loop. This version includes the

Grand Canyon National Park Grand Canyon National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in northwestern Arizona, the 15th site to have been named as a national park. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyo ...

History

The Arizona Trail was created by interconnecting preexisting trails. In 1994, the Arizona Trail Association incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to bring volunteers and the necessary resources to create maps, identify water sources, build and maintain the trail, and help raise funds for the trail.

Hiking

Map of the trail

The Arizona Trail is divided into 43 passages, and categorized into Southern, Central, and Northern sections. A wide selection of Maps are located at https://aztrail.org/explore/maps/

Trail finishers

Trail finishers are individuals who have reported completing the Arizona Trail. They receive a copper belt buckle (or pin/pendant) in celebration of their accomplishment. This list includes: * Thru-hikers and segment hikers * Speed record ultra runners * Yo-yo’s (those who do the trail in one direction, then turn around and do it in the other direction) * Horseback riders * Mountain bikers * Those who used a variety of non-motorized modes to travel along every portion of the Arizona Trail * Some pioneers who trekked overland long before the AZT was completely built.

Trail communities

The “AZT Gateway” provides community information (i.e., lodging, staple stores, access information, urgent care, etc.). There are many scenic communities that have fun areas of interest along the Arizona Trail.

Mountain biking

Mountain biking is allowed but segments are off-limits due to wilderness restrictions. Preferred biking routes have been developed to retain a trail experience consistent with National Scenic Trail values.

Animals

Some hikers enjoy the company of their canine companions when hiking the trail. However, the rough terrain, venomous snakes, sharp vegetation, hot ground during the summer, and lack of water in many trail segments can make the Arizona Trail unsuitable for most dogs, and in some sections, they are not allowed. Hikers wanting to bring their dogs should check with the Arizona Trail Association, which recommends that dog owners plan day trips in areas where dogs are allowed and when conditions (particularly heat and water) are suitable for them. Pack goats are sometimes used as companions on the trail, and can help lessen the pain of carrying a heavy backpack. They are allowed on some parts of the Arizona Trail, but prohibited on other segments due to the possibility of diseases from domestic goats spreading to sensitive bighorn sheep populations. Pack goats are not allowed anywhere bighorn sheep live. Therefore, it's not possible to do a thru-hike with pack goats.

Trail experiences

As of 2015, fewer than twenty people have ridden the entire trail. Some rode the trail all at once; others who rode the trail in segments, taking up to six years. In general, it takes approximately fifty days to hike the trail. The speed record for completing the trail is held by Jeff Garmire, who completed the Arizona trail in fifteen days, thirteen hours. A 21-mile section along the Arizona Trail provides views in the Grand Canyon region, particularly on the Kaibab Plateau. The trail connects the East Rim View and Murray trailheads.