Question? I will be completing my thru hike this week and my Wife is driving to meet me. From looking at Apple Maps etc it looks like a decent dirt road. She is taking our truck so ground clearance not an issue. Just want to know road conditions overall. Thanks!

Hi everyone, I'm planning on doing a 2 week section hike in september. I've looked at the Grand Canyon (Flagstaff to North Rim) but I'd love to get some recommendations from you all. What passages would you recommend for a 2 week section hike?

So I’m aiming to thru hike next spring and starting to figure out my gear. I typically hammock camp and obviously that’s not gonna work. So, if money wasn’t an issue, what would be your dream tent for the trail? I have time to save and want to get something pretty great.

I’d like easy setup. Something without too much condensation issues. Something that handles the wind.

I’m definitely not going to cowboy camp as I’m well aware (I live in north Phoenix) of the bug situation.

Thanks for your input!

Anyone have intel on the trail conditions just north of flagstaff (and beyond ) after these three days of snow? Snow bowl reported over two feet, but will that affect the trail? I don’t want to slog through deep snow.

I’m in flagstaff, planing to leave tomorrow because I’m antsy.

Hello! New here and researching this thru hike!

Here are some questions: Do most people go NOBO? How to avoid the snow? The water situation freaks me out a bit…how much did you carry in between water sources?

I know on the AT there are many opportunities to stop at shelters/hostels. Is that something the AZT has?

How desolate is the hike? Is it safe for a woman to hike this alone?

I have the FarOut app (I am planning on section hiking the AT). Is this a good resource for the AZT?

Ok enough for now. Super excited to learn and talk with others who have completed this trail!

Looking at hiking at the AZT 3-5 sections at a time over the next year and a half starting SOBO. I'm eyeing stateline - telephone hill as the first segment, but I'm unsure what the parking/shuttle situation looks like. Any advice and tackling that segment S/N or N/S makes more sense and what shuttle options are available?

I'm in Vail on my NOBO thru hike. While I've enjoyed the views and the flowers and all the water this year, I'm not really liking the trail itself so far. I intentionally didn't do any reading of trail journals or watch any videos, so I didn't know much about what the route and grades and tread would be like. So far, I've found so three to be pretty shitty.

The grades can be bad (intermittently at least--the grades are never consistent for even like 100 yards). There are constant pointless ups and downs. Like when you descend 500 feet to a canyon bottom, you actually descend 700 and climb 200 along the way for no good reason. The tread is mostly loose gravel and rocks. And it seems like the route has a very high ratio of "filler" (connector stuff) to highlights.

So my question is: in terms of what I haven't liked so far, does the trail get any better? Or is it just more of the same until Pine? It's getting hot, and I don't mind hiking in the heat, but I need something more than just "getting to Utah" as a motivation. I've already done about 100 miles of the remaining trail to the north and those parts were...fine (except the Grand Canyon which rules, but I've already done that).

Maybe this is all my fault for not reading more. I was probably expecting something more like the PCT, and the reality has been more in the Appalachian Trail vicinity (in terms of just being a shittily constructed trail).

Any thoughts appreciated. But don't try to tell me I'm wrong about what I think. I just want know if things change.

I did the trail south of pine about 6 years ago and want to go back to finish...But I live in New Zealand now so the timeframe I can get back is a little limited.

I know it will be hot but Im not unused to that. My main concern is the water sources any thoughts? Would bikepacking it make it a little less dumb?

Hi Gang. I am planning on a section hike of Pine to Mormon lake. I fly in next Tuesday. I heard the Pine trailhead parking lot was closed. Can anyone confirm if it’s open now ? Also, any current intel on snow/mud conditions above the rim would be awesome too.

Wondering if anyone has any experience just walking and sticking your thumb out from Sierra Vista. I have a storage spot for my car (in SV) and don’t want to inconvenience anyone or spend 75-100$. I figure if people are headed to the park from SV a hitch might not be that difficult.

Hoping to get on trail late today or early tomorrow

Curious if anyone knows current trail/snow conditions heading north out of Flagstaff. Thank you

I hiked from Flagstaff to a little past the North Rim in late May to early June of last year and decided for 2024 to hike a bit earlier in the season (April 3-20). Looks like I picked too early, because I am flying in to Phoenix on Wednesday and the weather situation is concerning me. Changing my trip dates is not a good option for financial and work reasons.

I originally wanted to hike out of Flagstaff to Roosevelt or a bit past (Flagstaff to Phoenix), but that plan looks bad now and my backup of going the opposite direction also seems a bit too early in the season given the weather reports.

Anyone have some on-the-ground info or advice on an alternate plan? I know Phoenix to Tucson is around the same mileage, but is perhaps trickier logistically and I was sort of looking forward to an early easy stage to get my legs in better hiking shape and do some acclimatizing / temp conditioning. Should I consider bringing micro-spikes? Are drifts an issue? Is the snow quickly melting south of Pine/Payson?

Anything to guide me or help with pre-hike jitters would be appreciated. Thanks!

Supposed to start Sunday, but looks like there’s a storm coming in Sunday/Monday with strong winds and rain. Wondering if I should hold off, but I’m on a bit of a time crunch.

There is no nearby airports, only kanab and page bus stations and the buses don't go far from these stations. How do you get back home? Hike back down to Phoenix??? Am I missing something, What did you do?

Hey hope all you AZT hikers are doing well!!

Ive hiked about half the AZT and am currently living near Vail area.

Feel free to shoot me a DM if you need any logistics help. I'm a school teacher in Tucson so am free to help weekends, mornings, afternoons. Shoot me a pm and I can help out if needed.

Stay safe out there!!

Hi folks, I'm starting a section hike soon, sections 1 - 13. Question: are there cholla and their friends, in the sky islands? Last year I took a heavy tyvek groundsheet for sections 13 - 19 and it stood me in good stead. Thing is, will I need it still in the earlier sections or will something a little lighter do?

thanks in advance

In case anyone doesn’t know a massive storm rolled through lower Arizona last night I was about halfway between Oracle and Kearney when it hit. Allot of places got snow dumped on them. Someone posted Saguaro and Lemon are both closed.

Is Kearny still somewhere hiker friendly to stay? I noticed the Kearny General Inn has become some weird woo-woo Tesla Biohealing Center lol. The rooms are like $300 a night for "biophoton healing"... has anyone been through recently? Do they offer regular rate rooms for folks that just want a bed and shower? Should I just push on to Superior?

A couple of questions about transit options:

• I’m trying to do a section hike starting in Patagonia, I’m flying into Tuscon and was wondering if there were any options getting from there to Patagonia

• Are there options to get back to Tuscon from Saguaro (my end point)

• Am I able to see a lot of the good stuff in Saguaro off of the Arizona Trail

Thanks!

I'm starting a NOBO section from Superior in mid-April. Are there any alternatives for getting from PHX to Superior apart from the early morning greyhound? It could work, it just means having to fly in the night before and finding lodging rather than going straight from the airport. Any trail angels offering shuttles or other hikers planning something similar around then?

Ever since I was a kid and saw the book Gila monsters meet you at the airport on reading rainbow, I’ve always wanted to see one. Where is the place on trail you’re mostly likely to see one?

Update: I saw two yesterday in East saguaro!

Anyone got intel on trail conditions for these passes? I don't have mictospikes but could get some sent if need be.

Anyone got intel on trail conditions for these passes? I don't have mictospikes but could get some sent if need be.

How common is a first week of April start? Will I be behind the bubble to the point I won't see other hikers? Hows the water looking this season? Thanks all

Looking to pitch in with other hikers vs expensive solo uber. Im arriving at the Amtrak station early Thursday morning.

Hey down from Canada and getting on trail today... But my cell carrier is trash in the US. Looking at eSIMs for some pay as you go service.

I understand Verizon has the best coverage on trail, so I'm looking at Visible. Has anyone tried them out? We are only doing a 2 week set of passages, and they say they have a 15 day free trial. Has anyone done that and is that the best solution?

If there's another option feel free to suggest. Need a fair amount of data, my wife wants to send video home to family from the trail.