Trail HeadCitizen Hiker: A Tetrad of Trekking
Share your Arizona trail adventures on our monthly hiking page.
Share your Arizona trail adventures on our monthly hiking page.
Pick up the Joe’s Canyon Trail that climbs 1,400 feet up a sheer-walled gorge that tops out on the airy grasslands of Smuggler’s Ridge where you’ll head right and walk along the knife-edge saddle with see-forever views overlooking the Mexican State of Sonora.
Tucson native Michael “Chappy” Chappell took the long way around finding his purpose as program director of Veteran Engagement & Trail Stewardship (VETS) with the Arizona Trail Association – a project that promotes outdoor therapy as an adjunct to traditional health interventions.
Rubbing elbows with suburbia and a manicured golf course, this trail bundle is easy to access and-- believe it or not--actually provides some solitude and decent scenic views.
Officially the closest Arizona Trail entry point to the Valley, the dirt pullout at Bushnell Tanks on State Route 87 half way between Fountain Hills and Payson, provides access to Arizona’s geological transition zone—a swath of mountain ranges and long valleys created over eons of volcanic activity, seismic uplifts and intermittent sea water deposits.
A glimpse into a time in the late 19th and early 20th century when homesteaders ran sheep and cattle in the forests and meadow on the Mogollon Rim.
Gaping canyons, amazing rock formations and miles of untainted natural beauty are the payoff for the grueling trek.
One of the most scenic segments of the state-traversing Arizona Trail, the route goes through shady fir forests and alpine meadows.
Share your Arizona trail adventures on our monthly hiking page.
Share your Arizona trail adventures on our monthly hiking page.