Arizona Trail Days 14 to 23

March 30, 2026 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

With temperatures 28 degrees above average in the Sonoran Desert, I jumped ahead 200 miles on the Arizona Trail to my home in Pine at Mile 459. After two “zero days” I was able to quickly cover the higher elevation miles and made it back to where I started on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon at Mile 700. The final six days I backpacked 187 miles, which I did not think I was capable of before I started on the AZT. This was all at elevations above 6,000 feet with the last 100 miles including water carries of 22, 17, 18, and 21 miles between refills. It was great to see friends and family in Pine and Flagstaff. I have surpassed 500 miles on the 800-mile AZT and will now return to the section I skipped north of the Gila River. Good news is the National Park Service is planning to reopen the North Kaibab Trail on May 15, so if I wait I may be able to do the final 100 miles through the Grand Canyon and up to the Utah border.

Arizona Trail Day 16, Mile 459 to 483 after jumping ahead 200 miles to my home in Pine I picked up the Highline Trail to the top of the Mogollon Rim. Enjoyed the cooler temperatures and the first Arizona cypress trees along the route, plus I saw a Madrean alligator lizard.

Arizona Trail Day 17, Mile 483 to 498 atop the Mogollon Rim across Clear Creek. Finished before noon for a trailhead pickup by my parents and one more night at home in Pine. Enjoying the cooler temperatures as I head towards Flagstaff through Coconino National Forest.

Arizona Trail Day 18, Mile 498 to 529 through forests towards Mormon Lake. Saw 3 herds of elk and the first Abert’s squirrel with its tassel ears. Water was mostly filtered from cattle tanks in various tints of yellow, but it tasted okay.

Arizona Trail Day 19, Mile 529 to 561 across Anderson Mesa where I saw two groups of mule deer. I got a resupply from my parents and my first views of the San Francisco Peaks north of Flagstaff. I feel nostalgic walking towards the town where I earned my undergrad degree from Northern Arizona University.

Arizona Trail Day 20, Mile 561 to 568 plus 16 miles on the urban route shortcut then Mile 599 to 608 through my college home of Flagstaff. Thanks to my friend Robin for helping lighten my backpack load earlier, picking me up near Snowbowl, and hosting me after a long 32-mile day.

Arizona Trail Day 21, Mile 608 to 638 dropped down from Aspen Corner on Snowbowl Road onto Hart Prairie. Saw mule deer, pronghorns, and corkbark fir, one of my favorite tree species. Passed scenic Red Mountain on my way to a dry camp in the pinyon juniper woodland.

Arizona Trail Day 22, Mile 638 to 668 through Babbitt Ranch and into Kaibab National Forest and the new Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. Not many water sources out here so you take what you can get.

Arizona Trail Day 23, Mile 668 to 700 past Grandview Tower to Tusayan for fast food and then into Grand Canyon National Park where I started on March 4th. At some point today I surpassed 500 miles on the 800-mile AZT. I also had my first hotel stay of the journey. I’m taking a zero day before heading back to the Gila River at Mile 265.

You can keep track of where I am at on the Garmin website through this link: https://live.garmin.com/ScottSink

I will also be updating my Instagram account with photos when I have signal: https://www.instagram.com/ravenabouttheparks/

Know someone who loves exploring new National Monuments? Gift them our book Monumental America: Your Guide to All 138 National Monuments that is available for sale on Amazon.com.

Arizona, Update

Arizona Trail Days 6 to 13

March 19, 2026 Raven About The Parks 2 Comments

Miles 101 to 265 required big climbs in Saguaro National Park and the Santa Catalina Mountains within Coronado National Forest. Lots of cool Sonoran Desert wildflowers and wildlife along the way, plus some great sunsets on the way to the Gila River. Thursday I am taking a “zero day” off the trail with my family in Chandler and probably going to a Mark Chesnutt concert.

Arizona Trail Day 6, Mile 101 to 101 a “Zero Day” in Tucson with a huge breakfast at Rocking K, one Talenti gelato (for a backup container to cold soak meals), and night in the camper van with my trail angel Mom.

Arizona Trail Day 7, Mile 101 to 126 after my first “zero day” passed under Interstate 10 to the border with Saguaro National Park and saw the first saguaro cacti along the route. I achieved my goal of finding a rock in the shape of Arizona! Enjoyed talking and walking with Ziggy, a Navy veteran. Big thank you to my Mom for meeting up with me in Tucson.

Arizona Trail Day 8, Mile 126 to 144 from spines to pines in Saguaro National Park. Over 6,000 feet cumulative elevation gain in the Rincon Mountains. Camped with and hiked with some fellow NAU Lumberjacks and two young women from Florida.

Arizona Trail Day 9, Mile 144 to 164 out of the Rincon Mountains to the Catalina Highway. Lots of wildflowers in bloom! I met Trail Angel Gabriel who I helped to fill up a water cache with 48 gallons. Thanks to all the trail angels out there.

Arizona Trail Day 10, Mile 164 to 187 up Mt. Lemmon in Coronado National Forest. Another great memory made in the Santa Catalina Mountains and my first horned lizard of the trip was seen above 8,000 feet in elevation. Thanks to my Mom for meeting me at the top with my big backpack. I was told by one AZT finisher that this is the “classic Lemmon cheat.” I’ll take any help I can get.

Arizona Trail Day 11, Mile 187 to 215 down the west side of the Santa Catalina Mountains, a cumulative drop of around 8,000 feet. I had two wonderful trail angels meet me in Oracle for lunch. Thanks everyone for your support in this endeavor! Sunrise to sunset was 12:01 so now unofficially past the equinox. Yay!

Arizona Trail Day 12, Mile 215 to 245 past Antelope Peak in the Sonoran Desert. I saw my first wild desert tortoise in my life! I hiked a while with Martin and Mama Goose who were great to talk to. I avoided the heat of the day and went to the movie Hoppers in Oro Valley with my Mom, then did 8.5 miles after sunset.

Arizona Trail Day 13, Mile 245 to 265 down to the Kelvin Bridge across the Gila River. Starting in the dark, I was able to finish before noon for a pickup from my parents. With temperatures 28 degrees above average for the next few days, I’ve decided to head home to Pine to cover some higher elevation miles on the AZT then come back when it cools down.

You can keep track of where I am at on the Garmin website through this link: https://live.garmin.com/ScottSink

I will also be updating my Instagram account with photos when I have signal: https://www.instagram.com/ravenabouttheparks/

Found a rock almost in the shape of the state

Know someone who loves National Parks? Gift them my travel guide A Park to Yourself: Finding Solitude in America’s 63 National Parks.

Arizona, Update

Arizona Trail Days 1 to 5

March 11, 2026 Raven About The Parks 2 Comments

On Friday, March 6, 2026, I started northbound on the Arizona National Scenic Trail from Montezuma Pass two miles north of the international border with Mexico in Coronado National Memorial (I added some new photos to that blog post). I hiked down to the border before turning around to pick up my backpack. My mother has been my trail angel and support crew for the first five days and 100 miles of this journey. I would not be doing this without her!

I climbed above 9,000 feet of elevation into the Huachuca Mountains within Coronado National Forest and down through the Canelo Hills across Highway 83 north of Patagonia into the foothills of the Santa Rita Mountains to reach the 100 mile point. Wednesday I am taking a “zero day” off the trail in Tucson.

Arizona Trail Day 1, Mile 2 to 0 to 10 starting in Coronado National Memorial to the Mexico border and turning around to enter Miller Peak Wilderness going above 9,000 feet elevation.

Arizona Trail Day 2, Mile 10 to 38 Huachuca Mountains down to Canelo Hills. Saw 2 Coues deer and 3 little javelinas. Met a triple crown finisher who was the character Greg in Cheryl Strayed’s book Wild. He’s still backpacking at age 72. My role model! Camped overnight by Down Under Tank.

Arizona Trail Day 3, Mile 38 to 61 across Highway 83 to meet my trail angel Mom for a hot meal and resupply. Surprisingly saw 22 wild turkeys in the desert. Lots of wildflowers and butterflies!

Arizona Trail Day 4, Mile 61 to 82 in the foothills of the Santa Rita Mountains. Rode out a hailstorm at historic Kentucky Camp goldmine, then got more thunderstorms overnight. Trying to dry out today.

Arizona Trail Day 5, Mile 82 to 101 to a resupply pickup on Highway 83 south of Vail. Snow overnight on the Santa Rita Mountains! Big thank you to the trail angels that fill up the water caches. Drove Saguaro National Park’s Desert Drive loop to look east where I’ll be backpacking in the Rincon Mountains this weekend. Thanks to my Mom for picking me up and boondocking her camper van in the desert for my “zero day” on Wednesday.

You can keep track of where I am at on the Garmin website through this link: https://live.garmin.com/ScottSink

I will also be updating my Instagram account with photos when I have signal: https://www.instagram.com/ravenabouttheparks/

Know someone who loves the National Forests? Gift them our travel guidebook Out in the Woods so they can learn more about all 155 National Forests.

Arizona, Update

Arizona Trail Day minus-2

March 5, 2026 Raven About The Parks 8 Comments

Since the Arizona National Scenic Trail cannot be done as a thru-hike this year, I took a non-traditional approach and started at Mile 700 in Grand Canyon National Park. Due to last summer’s Dragon Bravo Fire, more than 20 miles of the trail is closed on the North Rim. The six-mile stretch of North Kaibab Trail to Ribbon Falls opened up this week, so I made a reservation to spend the night in Bright Angel Campground. The weather was perfect, the scenery sublime, there were lots of ravens flying around, and (as I read) this time of year there were no bugs so I “cowboy camped” without a tent. What a privilege to get a campsite in such an incredible place listening to the creek. I carried my full backpack the seven miles down to the campground, then stashed most of my gear, refilled my water bottle, and headed six miles to the thigh-deep stream crossing for stunning Ribbon Falls, with an elevation gain of about 1,900 feet from the Colorado River. All told, I descended about 7,000 feet across 23 miles on Wednesday, but my left knee held up really well, either due to all the training or trekking poles. Thursday morning I made the hike out in three hours, impressing myself. I feel ready for the physical challenge of the 800-mile Arizona Trail! I am very grateful to be able to choose to do this hard and rewarding type of activity in my beautiful home state.

Know someone who loves National Parks? Gift them our travel guide A Park to Yourself: Finding Solitude in America’s 63 National Parks.

Update

Starting the Arizona Trail This Week!

March 2, 2026 Raven About The Parks 8 Comments

This week I am starting out northbound on the Arizona National Scenic Trail. According to the official website, it is 800 miles (with 105,000 feet of cumulative elevation gain) from the international border with Mexico in Coronado National Memorial to the Stateline Campground on the Utah border in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. Due to last summer’s Dragon Bravo Fire in Grand Canyon National Park, more than 20 miles of the trail is closed on the North Rim making a thru-hike impossible this year. Since I am already in northern Arizona, I am going to begin by backpacking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon to spend one night before turning around and driving south to the official start. That will be on Wednesday! Once I return to Grand Canyon National Park (Mile 700), I will get a ride north to finish up the trail.

You can keep track of where I am at on the Garmin website through this link: https://live.garmin.com/ScottSink

I will also be updating my Instagram account with photos when I have signal: https://www.instagram.com/ravenabouttheparks/

I recently moved back to Arizona for the 5th time in my life and I thought backpacking across the state would be a great way to reconnect. If you haven’t already read it, check out my 7-day Arizona Road Trip Itinerary with plenty of options to make it a month-long visit.

Once I finish the Arizona Trail, then I will get back to writing my latest guidebook American History 101: Reliving a Country’s Past at 101 National Park Service Sites, which I hope to publish by July 4, 2026, for the 250th anniversary of the vote to approve the Declaration of Independence.

Here are links to my blog posts on the public lands I will be traversing on the Arizona Trail:

Grand Canyon National Park

Coronado National Memorial

Coronado National Forest

Saguaro National Park

Tonto National Forest

Coconino National Forest

Walnut Canyon National Monument

Kaibab National Forest

Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni–Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument