The Arizona Trail

The Arizona National Scenic Trail is a long-distance walking route which stretches from Mexico to Utah through the whole of the state of Arizona. The 800 mile long trail runs from Coronado National Memorial near the Mexican border to the Kaibab Plateau region near the Utah border. The route traverses some of the most spectacular scenery anywhere in the world, including of course the natural wonder of the world that is the Grand Canyon.

Photo Courtesy: http://teknomadics.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/cg.jpg

While some people choose to 'thru-hike' the whole trail in one go, others choose to walk shorter, scenic sections. Whether you do want a long-distance adventure or are just looking for some good hikes for a shorter hiking holiday, Arizona could be one of the most exciting hiking destinations in the world and has something to suit all preferences, ages and abilities. It is the scenery that makes this trail so special – it is so beautiful and dramatic that you cannot but be enthralled.

The trail passes first from the Coronado National Monument through sections of the Huachuca Mountains, the Santa Rita Mountains and the Rincon Range. The trail goes on, north of Tuscon, to pass through the Santa Catalina Mountains and then the Mazaltzal Mountains, which are around 35-40 miles north-east of Phoenix. After ascending the Mongollon Rim to the north of Payson, the trail continues to the higher elevations of the Colorado Plateau, northern Arizona and into the volcanic mountain range of the San Francisco Peaks.

After the San Francisco Peaks, the trail crosses the Coconino Plateau, much of it protected within the Kaibab National Forest and covered with mature forests of douglas fir, pine trees and juniper. To the north lie the Grand Canyon village and the busy South Rim. The trail does not terminate there but instead continues down into the canyon and across it, on the Kaibab Trail. This outstandingly beautiful traverse has to be one of the highlights not just of this trail but of all walking in the U.S..

You could terminate your journey at the North Rim, but there is still more scenic beauty to come. You can walk through the beautiful and wildlife packed Kaibab National Forest on the Kaibab Plateau to the border. Here, predators were killed and the deer population expanded disastrously in the early Twentieth Century, thus teaching a salutary lesson about the dangers of human interference causing imbalance in an ecosystem. Today, the area has somewhat recovered, and this is a delightful area for wildlife-lovers to explore.

If you only have a limited amount of time then the Grand Canyon is of course the highlight – everyone should see it at least once in their lifetime. But if you have more time, it is very interesting to explore some of the lesser known though also spectacularly beautiful sections of the Arizona landscape. This is a state that too many people just breeze in and out of, without staying and taking the time to really get to know its natural delights.

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