The Arizona Trail: A Scenic Journey

Looking to get your steps in? Arizona is hiding the perfect trail for you. Arizona is home to arguably one of the most beautiful national scenic trails in the United States. Stretching from the U.S.-Mexico border all the way to Utah, its 800-mile trail — aptly named The Arizona Trail — crosses through varied terrain, communities, and cultural sites that will delight every kind of traveler.

Gateway Communities Along the Trail

According to The Arizona Trail Association, the trail began as the dream of Dale Shewalter, a Flagstaff school teacher who envisioned a trail that would one day cross the entirety of the state. In the 1970s and again in 1985, Shewalter walked from the city of Nogales to the Utah state line to see if his idea was even possible. Once he realized it was, he began to advocate for a trail system that would showcase Arizona’s immense beauty. Decades of hard work later, including land inventory, building and maintaining the trail, GPS coordination, and more, the 800-mile path gained its official National Scenic Trail designation in 2009. Consequently, every year since, thousands of hikers, bikers, runners, and equestrians have explored all or parts of the trail in an effort to discover something new.

Along the route, outdoor enthusiasts can stop to visit some of the trail’s fantastic gateway communities. The extensive list of destinations includes notable places like Tucson, Flagstaff, both the South and North Rim of the Grand Canyon, and Page. However, be sure to appreciate the smaller towns in between, which each offer something special to those passing through.

Accessible Hiking Options

For hikers and bikers who aren’t ready to tackle all 800 miles at once, there are options to visit one of its 43 passages, which range in length from 8.6-mile sections to massive 35.5-mile-long paths. The Arizona Trail Association offers a handy guide for those looking to take shorter day hikes.

Exploring Other Scenic Trails

Here’s one more piece of good news: once you’ve finished with this stunning scenic trail, you can continue to hike through America’s 10 other scenic trails, each exceeding 100 miles and traversing some of the country’s most pristine landscapes. Trust us, your FitBit will be proud.