The Arizona Trail is one of the most beautiful long-distance hiking trails in the USA. What to know before you start hiking the Arizona Trail? Here’s a guide full of tips!
Introduction: what is the Arizona Trail?
The Arizona Trail (AZT) is one of eleven National Scenic Trails in the United States of America. It runs vertically through the state of Arizona, from the Mexican border to the border with the state of Utah. The trail is approximately 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) long. Most hikers take between six and eight weeks to complete the hike.
The trail has been in existence since 2011 and is designed for hikers and mountain bikers, you can also do it on horseback, and in some parts, you can enjoy cross-country skiing.
Tijdens de wandeling loop je door diverse gebergtes en verschillende ecosystemen, van de lage woestijn vol cactussen naar de hoge woestijn vol dennenbomen. Ook loop je door twee nationale parken: Saguaro National Park en Grand Canyon National Park. Kortom, het lopen van de Arizona Trail is een prachtige manier om de schoonheid van de staat Arizona te ontdekken.
I myself hiked the Arizona Trail in the spring of 2022 and it was a fantastic experience. In this article, I’ll share all my tips for hiking the Arizona Trail.
This is what you need to know before you start
Would you like to hike the Arizona Trail? Then there are a few things you should know before you start.
Nobo vs. sobo
One of the first things to determine before you start: are you hiking the trail nobo or sobo? Nobo means northbound, in which case you hike north from the Mexican border to Utah. Sobo means southbound, then you hike from Utah to the Mexican border in the south. They both have pros and cons. Which one do you choose?
Pros and cons nobo
Nobo pros
- Most people hike nobo, so you’ll quickly meet like-minded hikers to team up with.
- The sun is usually at your back.
- The Grand Canyon is saved for the very end, which feels like a spectacular finale.
- If you hike in spring, you’ll likely see (and smell) desert wildflowers in bloom.
Nobo cons
- The toughest climbs are in the first 400 miles. On day one, you already ascend to 9,000 feet (2,750 meters). This can be pretty tough if you’re not well-trained or used to the altitude.
Pros and cons sobo
Sobo pros
- The trail is much quieter (although that can also feel like a downside).
- The first 200 miles are relatively flat, except for the Grand Canyon.
Sobo cons
- You have the sun in your face most of the time.
- Hiking sobo usually means autumn, when water is more scarce along the trail.
What is the best time to hike the AZT?
As you can read at nobo and sobo, there are two suitable moments to start hiking the Arizona Trail. For nobo, the best starting time is spring, from early/mid-March to early May. For sobo it would be autumn, from mid to late September to mid-November.
There is a very specific time frame for both directions and that has everything to do with the varied landscape. On the high mountains (there are quite a lot of them) there is snow for a large part of the year. In addition, it can get very hot in the rest of Arizona. So you want as little snow as possible and also want to avoid the heat.
Also, take your hiking pace into account. I myself started in the first week of March and hiked nobo. It took me eight weeks and it was perfect. However, several people started at the same time as me who hiked much faster. They couldn’t walk long stretches of the trail because of the snow in the north. And that’s a shame because it’s such a gorgeous trail. In that case, it is better to start a little later, or just take it easy and enjoy all that beauty even more.
Do you need a permit to hike the AZT?
You do not need a permit to hike the Arizona Trail. You can start wherever and whenever you want and you can pitch your tent (almost) anywhere.
If you want to sleep in the national parks, you do need a permit.
- For Saguaro National Park, it’s quite easy to book a spot at one of the primitive campgrounds along the trail: Grass Shack Campground or Manning Camp. Reservations can be made through the official website. In early spring there are usually spots available, but it’s still wise to book ahead. A reservation costs $8 per night.
- For Grand Canyon National Park, you can only get a permit once you’re inside the park. At the South Rim, you can camp for $6 at the hiker/biker campground, which almost always has space. If you want to camp inside the canyon or at the North Rim, you’ll need to stop by the backcountry office and ask what’s available. There are usually group sites set aside for Arizona Trail hikers.
Visa
If you’re not from the US, do you need a visa for the USA if you are going to walk the Arizona Trail? No, you can travel to the US on an ESTA (electronic consent form), which is valid for 90 days. In that time you can easily complete the entire trail.
Transportation to & from the trail
How do you get to the starting point of the trail? And when you’re done, how do you get back to civilization?
The starting point (southern terminus) of the Arizona Trail is near the border of Mexico at Coronado National Memorial. It’s pretty much in the middle of nowhere and you can’t get there by public transport. Alternatively, you can use a shuttle service from Tucson (a 2-hour drive, which costs between $60-$100 per person) or take an Uber from the nearby town of Sierra Vista. An overview of shuttles can be found on this page.
A shuttle or taxi cannot drop you off at the monument on the border but will drop you off it at the visitor center or at Montezuma Pass. From here, you can hike to the monument on the border, which is about two miles.
The northern terminus of the Arizona Trail is also far from civilization, but fortunately at a (primitive) campsite called Stateline Campground. You can book an (expensive) shuttle that will take you to Kanab, but there is always someone at the campground or at the large parking lot of the Wire Pass Trailhead (1.5 miles after the terminus) who can take you to Page, Kanab or st. George.
From Page, Kanab or St. George you can book a shuttle that takes you to Las Vegas. Page also has a small airport with daily flights to Phoenix. Either way, it’s easy to get back to civilization.
Where do you sleep on the AZT?
There are only a few villages along the way, so you have to sleep in the desert most of the time. A few bring a hammock (quite inconvenient, because you can’t hang it everywhere in the southern part of the AZT) and some people do “cowboy camping” (sleeping in the open air). The vast majority of hikers bring a tent with them.
You can pitch your tent almost anywhere along or near the trail, as long as there is a flat piece of ground. Make sure you don’t put it on a cactus (your inflatable sleeping pad won’t like that very much) or a red ant nest. Although you can camp almost anywhere, there is a rule that you can’t camp close to water sources, so that wildlife can drink peacefully at night.
What to pack?
What do you need to pack for the Arizona Trail? In any case, a backpack with sleeping gear and a water filter. And preferably lightweight, which makes hiking a long distance trail a lot more comfortable.
Here’s a quick rundown of the gear I brought on the Arizona Trail:
- Backpack: Osprey Eja 58
- Tent: Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2
- Slaapmat: Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite R
- Slaapzak: Enlightened Equipment Revelation Quilt (10 Fahrenheit)
- Waterfilter: Sawyer Squeeze i.c.m. Cnoc Vecto 2l.
- Koken: MSR Pocket Rocket, Toaks 650 ml, Spork Sea to Summit, Opinel mesje.
- PLB: Garmin InReach Mini.
In addition, of course, some extra (warm) clothing, a first aid kit, and electronics (telephone, camera, etc.).
Read more: Arizona Trail Gear List for a Thru Hike
An extra item that is very useful on the Arizona Trail is a comb. You can use these to remove cacti that stick to your clothing, bag, or in your skin (ouch).
Food & water on the AZT
What do you eat when you’re hiking the Arizona Trail? How do you get your food? And is there enough water in the desert?
Food
You burn a lot of calories during a long-distance hike, so it is wise to eat well. There aren’t that many villages along the way, so you usually need to bring food for five to seven days. You mainly want food that has a long shelf life and as many calories as possible in the smallest possible packaging.
These are some of the things I ate on the Arizona Trail:
- Protein bars and cookies (Complete Cookies are great and vegan)
- Lots of nuts
- M&Ms peanut, Snickers (nuts + chocolate are always a win)
- Wraps (with tuna packets or cheese sticks)
- Freeze-dried meals, noodles, instant mashed potatoes, Knorr sides
Resupply
How do you get food along the way? There are several strategies:
- Pre-buy everything and mail boxes to yourself along the trail
- Buy food as you go in towns (about every 5 days)
- Or a mix of both
Most hikers go for a mix and this is also what I did myself. Although buying food in the villages is often more expensive than in advance in, for example, a Walmart, you only know what you like and how much you need when you’re hiking the trail. In addition, you support the local community. People are so friendly in the trail towns!
Moreover, sending packages to villages is not free (for a large box you pay about $20) and the post offices have limited opening hours. It can be quite annoying if you arrive in a village on Friday afternoon and can’t pick up your package with food until Monday.
Read more: Arizona Trail Resupply Guide
Water on the Arizona Trail
Arizona is all desert and there are few rivers or creeks to be found. That is why you often get your water from a so-called wildlife tank. This is either a small lake or a large basin of water (with algae). So it’s a matter of very good filtering.
How do you know where to find water? Almost all water sources are listed on the FarOut app and anyone can leave a message to report whether a water source is dry or not. This way you almost always have up-to-date information.
How do you navigate the Arizona Trail? Fortunately, the trail is very well marked. Are you really unable to figure it out? Then the FarOut app is really a must-have. Put this on your phone, buy the Arizona Trail map ($14.99), and then you have everything you need.
This app not only shows the route (which also works on airplane mode), but you can also post messages at certain points on the route. Some people give tips for good camping spots which can be very convenient.
How much does it cost to hike the Arizona Trail?
In 2019, my five-week hike on the Pacific Crest Trail cost me about $1,500, but traveling in the USA has gotten a lot more expensive in recent years. For two months on the Arizona Trail, I spent over $4000 (including flights from Amsterdam to West Coast USA, all meals, lodging, a SIM card, new hiking shoes, and so on). You can save a lot of money by not staying too long in the trail towns. Food and accommodation are quite expensive there. But also so nice!
Hike your own hike & more useful terms (trail lingo)
During a long-distance hike in the USA, you often hear the same terms. But what do they actually mean?
Hike your own hike: the most important one. Don’t let anyone tell you how to hike. It’s your hike. You know your body best, so if something hurts, take a break. Always follow your intuition if something feels dangerous.
Thru-hiker: a long-distance hiker who completes the entire trail in one go. If you only hike a section, you’re a section hiker.
Cowboy camping: sleeping under the stars without a tent.
Trail Angels: people who love long-distance hikers and want to help. They might offer you a place to stay, give you a ride, or leave water and snacks along the trail.
Trail Magic: an unexpected gift on the trail, often in the form of food or water. On the Arizona Trail, you’ll often find stocked bear boxes.
Trail Family: when you hike with the same group of people regularly, they start to feel like family.
Leave no trace / Pack it in, pack it out: clear message. Leave no trace behind in nature except for your footsteps.
Zero: a day when you don’t hike at all (usually two nights in town).
Nero: a day when you only hike a few miles and spend the rest of the time relaxing.
Hiker Box: a box you’ll sometimes find in trail towns where hikers leave items they no longer need. Other hikers can take from it. It’s basically a gear and food exchange, often filled with snacks most people didn’t like.
Hiker Trash: that’s you. A hiker who hasn’t showered in days, smells bad, and is covered in dust.
Additional tips
A few last Arizona Trail tips:
- Put your phone in airplane mode to save a lot of battery, it will last much longer that way.
- Buy a SIM card in the US (AT&T and T-Mobile also work on European phones). In many places you’ll have coverage, although sometimes it’s stronger than others.
- Temperatures can vary enormously. During my hike I experienced everything from -10 to 35 degrees Celsius (14 to 95 Fahrenheit). Keep this in mind when packing your gear. You really need that warm sleeping bag at night, and on hot days you’ll want to cover up as much as possible (which also saves sunscreen).
- Are there scary animals on the trail? Yes, you’ll probably see a few rattlesnakes. Maybe even a coyote, mountain lion or bear (the last two are rare). But the biggest thing to watch out for is the cactus.
These were all my Arizona Trail Tips! Do you still have questions and can’t find the answer in this article? You can always leave a message below.
Helpful resources for the Arizona Trail
What resources are useful to check before hiking the Arizona Trail?
- Arizona Trail Association website – this site describes the entire trail in sections and also provides a list of trail angels.
- Facebook groups – these are gold! There’s a general Arizona Trail group as well as year-specific groups (for example, the AZT 2022 group). You can ask questions there if you get stuck, but always use the search function first, since many questions are asked multiple times.
- My trail journals – it’s always fun and helpful to read the experiences of other hikers.
Want to read more about long-distance hikes?
Would you like to know what it’s like to hike a long-distance trail in the USA? There haven’t been many books published about the Arizona Trail (yet, I’m currently writing one), but there are a number of people who have described their hike on the Pacific Crest Trail in a beautiful way:
Journeys North: The Pacific Crest Trail (Barney Scout Mann)
The Great Alone: Walking the Pacific Crest Trail (Tim Voors)
In addition, on this website, you can find a lot of information about beautiful long-distance trails from all over the world and other hiking tips. For example, also read these articles:
- The best treks in the world: 18 incredible long-distance hiking trails
- Camino Francés Guide: practical tips and personal experiences
- Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: from Mexico to Canada
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