huckepack

Arizona National Scenic Trail

Length

Stated
About 1,287 km, the stated length (Arizona Trail Association)
Map line
Not used: only 21 % matched on its weakest stage
Search
Compares this trail by the stated length

about1,287km

Ascent · descent

This trail
Estimated from the terrain model (≈): no source states them
How
Every main stage's climbs and drops between samples 500 m apart
Keep in mind
In forests the model reads the treetops, so it reads high there

estimated: 23,820m ↑25,330m ↓

Difficulty

What
How hard the trail is, in three ways: the terrain, the climate in season and the length of the days
Scale
Easy to Hard, with the same thresholds for every trail; each takes its hardest measure
Keep in mind
It describes the trail, not how it will feel to you: that depends on your fitness, experience, pack and the weather you get
  • Terrain: DemandingNatural ground: 91 %
  • Climate: Hard in Feb–MayHeat: 34 °C by day (May)
  • Effort: HardLongest day: ≈ 16 h 15 (stage 34)

All measures

Terrain: Demanding; Climate: Hard in Feb–May; Effort: Hard
Suggested
43–60days

Per stage

How
The 42 main stages' totals over their number
Source
Arizona Trail Association, so the averages come from one source
Ascent
The terrain model's estimate per stage (≈): the stages state no climbs

30.7km· about 570 m ↑
Season

Landscape

Source
ESA WorldCover satellite land cover, along the main route
  • Grassland and shrubs: 56%
  • Forest: 43%
  • Bare rock and sand: 0%

Landscape along the route

Mostly Grassland

Photos

Photos from Wikimedia Commons by Coconino National Forest; each photo's licence in the gallery

Location

Country
United States
Regions
Arizona
Start
Mexico border (Coronado National Memorial)
Finish
Stateline Trailhead (Utah border)
Route type
Point to point
Permit
Required
Travel hubs
  • Tucson International Airport (TUS)154.4 km by road · 143 min
  • Tucson station (Amtrak)164 km by road · 149 min
Protected areas
Coronado National Memorial; Miller Peak Wilderness; Mount Wrightson Wilderness; Rincon Mountain Wilderness; Saguaro National Park; Pusch Ridge Wilderness; Superstition Wilderness; Four Peaks Wilderness; Mazatzal Wilderness; Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument; Grand Canyon National Park
Managed by
Arizona Trail Association, USDA Forest Service
Waymarking
The trail is complete and well-signed, though sections may change or be rerouted after wildfires or for administrative reasons; the association advises carrying a map and compass, a GPS unit or its app.
GPX
Official GPX trackOffered by Arizona Trail Association
  • Trail
  • Variant
  • Start
  • Stage start
  • Finish
  • Contour lines

Difficulty

Terrain

Rates
How hard is the ground to walk: the path, the climbing, the steep bits, the ground underfoot?
How
Rated over the whole main route.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Path grade
the trail's SAC grade, stated, converted or estimated
  1. EasyT1
  2. ModerateT2
  3. DemandingT3
  4. HardT4 to T6
Climbing
ascent of the main stages over their length
  1. Easyunder 15 m per km
  2. Moderate15–30 m
  3. Demanding30–50 m
  4. Hard50 m or more
Steep stretches
share of the route steeper than 15 %, up or down (terrain model)
  1. Easyunder 5 %
  2. Moderate5–15 %
  3. Demanding15–30 %
  4. Hard30 % or more
Natural ground
share on footpaths and trails (OpenStreetMap); never Hard on its own
  1. Easyunder a third
  2. Moderatea third to two thirds
  3. Demandingtwo thirds or more

Demanding

  • SAC hiking scale

    This trail
    T2 (our estimate)
    Basis
    The association rates its passages from "Easy" (Coconino Rim, Buckskin Mountain) to "Difficult" (Superstition Wilderness, Four Peaks, the Grand Canyon's Inner Gorge) and describes rocky singletrack climbing thousands of feet from desert to the sky islands' conifer forests, a primitive trail through remote wilderness with long dry stretches, heat, flash floods and lightning, but no scrambling or exposed passages. Mountain hiking on built trails (T2); the heat, water and remoteness make it hard.
    Scale
    The Swiss Alpine Club's hiking scale, from T1 (easy) to T6 (very hard)
    Why
    Trails rate difficulty in many local scales, or only in words; we translate each into this one so trails compare
    Keep in mind
    An estimate: how hard a trail feels depends on your fitness, experience, pack and the weather
    T1 · Hiking
    Well-made paths, mostly flat or gently sloping. No risk of falling; trainers are enough.
    T2 · Mountain hiking
    A continuous path, steep in places, where a fall can't be ruled out. Be sure-footed; wear hiking boots.
    T3 · Demanding mountain hiking
    The path is not always visible; exposed spots may have chains or ropes, and you may need your hands for balance.
    T4 · Alpine hiking
    Often no path. Hands are needed in places, terrain is exposed, and there can be easy snowfields.
    T5 · Demanding alpine hiking
    Mostly pathless, with easy climbing and exposed, demanding terrain. Needs alpine experience.
    T6 · Difficult alpine hiking
    Pathless, very exposed, with climbing and glaciers. For experienced mountaineers only.

    The scale at the Swiss Alpine Club

    estimated T2
  • Climbingestimated 19 m per km
  • Steep stretches3 % of the way
  • Natural ground91 %

Climate

Rates
How hot, cold, wet and windy does it get?
How
From 30 years of daily weather (ERA5), rated per month. Without months picked: the trail's best run of at least two season months, each measure at its hardest month. Pick months in the search to rate it for yours.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Heat
mean daily high at the lowest point
  1. Easyunder 22 °C
  2. Moderate22–27 °C
  3. Demanding27–32 °C
  4. Hard32 °C or more
Cold
mean nightly low at the highest point
  1. Easy8 °C or more
  2. Moderate3–8 °C
  3. Demanding−2 to 3 °C
  4. Hardbelow −2 °C
Wet days
days a month with 1 mm of rain or more, the wetter of both points
  1. Easyunder 10
  2. Moderate10–14
  3. Demanding14–18
  4. Hard18 or more
Snow
days a month with 1 cm of snow or more at the highest point
  1. Easyunder 1 day
  2. Moderate1–3 days
  3. Demanding3–6 days
  4. Hard6 days or more
Wind
mean of the day's strongest wind (hourly mean, 10 m above ground), the windier of both points; over land: a point whose 25 km weather cell is mostly sea takes the nearest mostly-land cell's
  1. Easyunder 15 km/h
  2. Moderate15–20 km/h
  3. Demanding20–25 km/h
  4. Hard25 km/h or more

Hard in Feb–May

  • Heat · May34 °C by day
  • Cold · February−9 °C at night
  • Wet days · February6 days
  • Snow · February5 days
  • Wind · April19 km/h

Effort

Rates
How long are the days?
How
Rated by the longest main stage; a time range counts its upper end.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Longest day
walking time of the longest main stage, stated or by DIN 33466
  1. Easyup to 4 h
  2. Moderate4–6 h
  3. Demanding6–8 h
  4. Hardmore than 8 h

Hard

  • Longest day · stage 34estimated 16 h 15

Climate

Days in season · lowest point
20–36°C
Nights in season · highest point
−9 to 7°C
Wet days a month
4–6
Daylight
10.3–14.0h
SeasonSeasonDay high and night low−20 °C−10 °C0 °C10 °C20 °C30 °C40 °C50 °CWet days, at the highest point510Daylight10.1 h10.9 h11.9 h13.0 h14.0 h14.5 h14.3 h13.4 h12.3 h11.2 h10.3 h9.8 hJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Climate by month, 1995–2024 average
MonthLowest point, day high / night low (°C)Highest point, day high / night low (°C)Wet daysSnow daysFrost nights at the highest pointDaylight (h)
January18.4 / 5.40.6 / -9.45.85.13110.1
February20 / 6.61.7 / -8.66.25.228.210.9
March24 / 9.65.1 / -6.46.24.530.111.9
April28.4 / 13.79.5 / -3.14.72.82413
May33.5 / 1915.4 / 23.80.98.914
June38.9 / 24.822.1 / 7.91.900.314.5
July39.3 / 27.824.2 / 11.38.70014.3
August38.3 / 26.822.4 / 10.18.40013.4
September36 / 23.418.9 / 6.75.500.812.3
October30.3 / 16.712.7 / 0.83.91.311.611.2
November23.9 / 10.66.8 / -43.52.625.810.3
December18.3 / 5.71.2 / -8.454.2319.8

Climate by month

Source
ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, averages for 1995–2024
Places
The trail's lowest and highest point, adjusted to their height
Bars
From the mean night low to the mean day high
Wet days
At least 1 mm of rain; snow days at least 1 cm of snow
Daylight
Sunrise to sunset in the middle of the month
Shading
The trail's season

Stages

RouteDistanceAscentDescentElevation
1Mexico Border Parker Canyon Lake Trailhead32.7 km1,180 m ↑1,260 m ↓1,800 → 1,730 m
2Parker Canyon Lake Trailhead Canelo Pass22.2 km470 m ↑530 m ↓1,690 → 1,630 m
3Canelo Pass Highway 8229.1 km230 m ↑580 m ↓1,650 → 1,300 m
4Highway 82 Apache Springs Trailhead33.6 km650 m ↑360 m ↓1,310 → 1,600 m
5Apache Springs Trailhead Oak Tree Canyon26.7 km370 m ↑360 m ↓1,590 → 1,600 m
6Oak Tree Canyon Lakes Road21.1 km210 m ↑550 m ↓1,590 → 1,250 m
7Lakes Road Gabe Zimmerman Trailhead20.3 km80 m ↑270 m ↓1,230 → 1,050 m
8Gabe Zimmerman Trailhead Saguaro National Park22.4 km180 m ↑280 m ↓1,040 → 940 m
9Saguaro National Park Redington Road39.1 km1,850 m ↑1,460 m ↓950 → 1,340 m
10Redington Road Gordon Hirabayashi Campground21.2 km550 m ↑380 m ↓1,320 → 1,490 m
11Gordon Hirabayashi Campground Marshall Gulch Trailhead30.1 km1,530 m ↑710 m ↓1,480 → 2,310 m
12Marshall Gulch Trailhead American Flag Ranch Trailhead28.6 km790 m ↑1,710 m ↓2,300 → 1,380 m
13American Flag Ranch Trailhead Tiger Mine Trailhead13.8 km110 m ↑220 m ↓1,350 → 1,240 m
14Tiger Mine Trailhead Freeman Road Trailhead44.4 km810 m ↑800 m ↓1,230 → 1,230 m
15Freeman Road Trailhead Gila River45.4 km340 m ↑980 m ↓1,220 → 570 m
16Gila River Tonto National Forest Boundary41.4 km990 m ↑420 m ↓540 → 1,120 m
17Tonto National Forest Boundary Picketpost Trailhead18.7 km130 m ↑520 m ↓1,130 → 740 m
18Picketpost Trailhead Rogers Trough Trailhead28.6 km1,090 m ↑340 m ↓730 → 1,480 m
19Rogers Trough Trailhead Vineyard Trailhead46.3 km1,200 m ↑2,000 m ↓1,460 → 650 m
20Vineyard Trailhead Pigeon Spring Trailhead29.9 km1,420 m ↑430 m ↓690 → 1,680 m
21Pigeon Spring Trailhead Sunflower31.2 km410 m ↑1,080 m ↓1,730 → 1,050 m
22Sunflower Mount Peeley26.7 km1,030 m ↑350 m ↓1,070 → 1,750 m
23Mount Peeley Red Hills Trail junction38.8 km1,110 m ↑1,050 m ↓1,810 → 1,870 m
24Red Hills Trail junction East Verde River17.2 km270 m ↑1,100 m ↓1,830 → 1,010 m
25East Verde River Pine Trailhead33.3 km1,100 m ↑470 m ↓1,020 → 1,650 m
26Pine Trailhead Mogollon Rim38.5 km910 m ↑420 m ↓1,660 → 2,150 m
27Mogollon Rim Highway 8724.8 km260 m ↑380 m ↓2,210 → 2,090 m
28Highway 87 Gooseberry Springs Trailhead47.5 km570 m ↑370 m ↓2,080 → 2,290 m
29Gooseberry Springs Trailhead Mayflower Spring23.8 km260 m ↑300 m ↓2,280 → 2,230 m
30Mayflower Spring Marshall Lake Trailhead28.6 km180 m ↑220 m ↓2,220 → 2,180 m
31Marshall Lake Trailhead Interstate 4033.5 km270 m ↑470 m ↓2,180 → 1,980 m
32Interstate 40 Schultz Pass23.8 km580 m ↑120 m ↓1,970 → 2,430 m
34Schultz Pass Cedar Ranch57.1 km540 m ↑1,060 m ↓2,460 → 1,940 m
35Cedar Ranch Moqui Stage Station44.4 km300 m ↑210 m ↓1,950 → 2,030 m
36Moqui Stage Station Grandview Lookout Tower29.3 km320 m ↑60 m ↓2,030 → 2,290 m
37Grandview Lookout Tower South Kaibab Trailhead36.0 km260 m ↑370 m ↓2,300 → 2,190 m
38South Kaibab Trailhead North Kaibab Trailhead33.3 km0 m ↑950 m ↓2,180 → 1,240 m
39North Kaibab Trailhead Kaibab National Forest boundary19.3 km410 m ↑170 m ↓2,500 → 2,750 m
40Kaibab National Forest boundary Telephone Hill Trailhead33.3 km480 m ↑520 m ↓2,740 → 2,700 m
41Telephone Hill Trailhead Orderville Trailhead26.9 km150 m ↑510 m ↓2,680 → 2,310 m
42Orderville Trailhead Winter Road Trailhead27.5 km90 m ↑380 m ↓2,290 → 2,000 m
43Winter Road Trailhead Stateline Trailhead16.9 km140 m ↑610 m ↓1,990 → 1,520 m
Variants
11eGordon Hirabayashi Trailhead Oracle Ridge Trailhead29.0 km
33Fisher Point Passage 34 junction (Schultz Pass)24.8 km

Totals and averages count the main stages only. Stage 38 can be walked only to The Tipoff since 2026: flash floods in August 2026 damaged bridges, trails and the waterline in the inner canyon; the association recommends a ride round the canyon between the South and North Kaibab Trailheads. ≈ marks our estimates where the source gives no figure: ascent and descent and heights from the terrain model (Copernicus DEM, 30 m grid, sampled every 500 m), to the nearest 10 m.

Terrain

Highest · lowest point
2,791m high508m low

Gradient

Steepest climb
26 % (15°), 128 m up over 500 m, stage 11
Steepest descent
−25 % (14°), 127 m down over 500 m, stage 19
Gradient
Height per distance: 20 % is 20 m up per 100 m forward; 100 % is 45°, not 90°
Keep in mind
Averages over 500 m from a 30 m terrain model: steps and ladders within them are steeper
GradientAngleFeels like
10 %6°Noticeable on a road
20 %11°A steep path, slow going
30 %17°Very steep, often steps
100 %45°Scrambling

26% ↑−25% ↓

Steep stretches

This trail
17 km up, 22.5 km down: the darkest parts of the profile
Steep
15 % or more (9°, 15 m of height per 100 m), in 500 m stretches
Why it matters
Slow going uphill, hard on the knees downhill

39.5km

Surfaces

  • Natural ground: 91%, 1117.5 km. Earth, grass, rock and roots: footpaths and forest trails. Can be muddy after rain.
  • Gravel: 8%, 94.2 km. Gravel, compacted and stony surfaces: mostly forest roads and farm tracks.
  • Paved: 1%, 11.3 km. Asphalt, concrete and cobbles: roads and village streets.

91% natural8% gravel1% paved
800 m1,200 m1,600 m2,000 m2,400 m2,800 m2,791 m1246810121416182022242628303235373941430 km1224.2 km

Terrain along the route

Heights
Copernicus terrain model, 30 m grid, every 500 m along the main route; in forests it reads the treetops
Colours
Each 500 m by its gradient in walking direction: climbs warm, descents violet, darker when steeper (to ±30 %)
Ground
The strip below, from OpenStreetMap; the 34% without a surface tag is read from the way type (footpaths natural, tracks gravel)

Landscape

Forest43%Grassland and shrubs56%Bare rock and sand0%1246810121416182022242628303235373941430 km1224.2 km

Landscape along the route

Source
ESA WorldCover 2021, a 10 m satellite map
Points
Every 500 m along the main route; each takes the most common class within 30 m, so the path itself doesn't count as bare ground
Groups
Its eleven classes, folded into the six shown
Keep in mind
What the landscape looks like, not which plants grow there

Sleeping

Wild camping is restricted. Camping along the trail needs no permit on most of it, but Saguaro and Grand Canyon National Parks and Colossal Cave Mountain Park allow it only in designated campgrounds, with a permit or fee; on State Trust Land a State Land Recreation Permit is recommended to camp outside the trail's 15-foot corridor, and a year-round camping ban applies near Flagstaff.

217.3 km without a bedCamping95Huts1Hostels0Rooms11246810121416182022242628303235373941430 km1224.3 km

Places to sleep along the route

Ticks
One per place to sleep: 95 campsites, 1 huts, 0 hostels, 1 guest houses
Counted
Within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of a stage's end (stage towns often lie off the trail); no hotels or day shelters
Shaded
The longest stretch without any, km 250.5–467.8
Source
OpenStreetMap: it may miss places or list closed ones, so book or check locally

Water & Supply

Clean water

This trail
160.2 km without clean water, km 250.5–410.7, stages 10–16
Rating
  1. Frequentup to 10 km
  2. Regularup to 20 km
  3. Scarcebeyond
Counted
Within 500 m: 28 taps, fountains and drinking springs, 1 places to sleep with drinking water, 66 refills at huts, hostels, guest houses and campsites
Refills
Guests come first and many close out of season: ask, and carry a little extra. Places marked without drinking water are left out
Source
OpenStreetMap; the counts include the approach and variant, the chart shows the main route

160.2kmScarce

Any water

This trail
112.4 km without any water, km 284.3–396.7
Rating
  1. Frequentup to 10 km
  2. Regularup to 20 km
  3. Scarcebeyond
Counted
Clean water, plus the 97 springs within 500 m
Keep in mind
Spring water's quality is unknown: filter, boil or treat it, and expect some springs to run dry in late summer

112.4kmScarce

Shops

This trail
252.9 km without a shop, km 32.2–285.1
Counted
17 supermarkets, convenience and general stores and petrol station shops, within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of a stage's end
Keep in mind
Small village shops are often missing in OpenStreetMap, and opening hours vary: check before relying on one

252.9km
Water · 112.4 km withoutPublic drinking water · 375.5 km withoutSprings (treat before drinking) · 184.6 km withoutRefills at places to sleep · 217.3 km withoutShops · 252.9 km withoutSupermarkets · 1089.5 km withoutConvenience and general stores · 252.9 km without1246810121416182022242628303235373941430 km1224.3 km

Water and shops along the route

Ticks
One per place along the main route
Counted
Drinking water and springs within 500 m; refills at huts, hostels, guest houses and campsites within 500 m; shops within 1 km, or 3 km of a stage's end
Shaded
Each lane's longest stretch without. "Water" counts every kind and opens into one lane per kind, each with its own
Source
OpenStreetMap: it may miss places or list ones that have closed or run dry, so check locally

Wildlife

Wildlife

Shows
Animals that can be dangerous to hikers on this trail: large animals, venomous snakes, scorpions and spiders, ticks, and plants that harm on touch
Level
Ours, read from the official source
High
A bite of a species it calls common can be life-threatening within hours
Moderate
It warns of attacks or serious harm, or places the trail in a risk area for tick-borne encephalitis
Low
The harm is mostly minor or treatable, or avoidable by how you behave
What to do
From the official sources: National Park Service, Saguaro National Park; National Park Service, Saguaro National Park; National Park Service
Pictures
Silhouettes from PhyloPic, not to scale, each maker named with its advice; the landscape is the trail's own, drawn by us

Rattlesnakes ModerateMountain lion LowBlack bear Low

Rattlesnakes

Moderate danger

Six species of rattlesnake live in Saguaro National Park alone, and the association names rattlesnakes among the trail's hazards; bites are rarely fatal but painful and need a hospital.

If you meet one

  • If you see a rattlesnake, stay at least 10 feet from it
  • Wear boots and loose-fitting pants while hiking
  • Carry a flashlight after dark
  • If you are bitten by a rattlesnake, call 911 immediately

Don't

  • Do not harass or attempt to kill snakes
  • Do not put your hands or feet where your eyes have not been
  • Do NOT attempt to treat a snake bite yourself

Advice: National Park Service, Saguaro National Park. Level: ours. Silhouette: Blair Perry (Crotalus viridis), PhyloPic, public domain.

Mountain lion

Low danger

Mountain lions live in both districts of Saguaro National Park and across Arizona's mountains; the park calls encounters rare, but possible.

If you meet one

  • Give the lion a way to escape
  • Stay calm and speak loudly and firmly
  • Stand and face it. Make eye contact
  • Appear as large as you can: raise your arms and open your jacket
  • FIGHT BACK if you are attacked

Don't

  • Do not hike or jog alone
  • DO NOT RUN from a mountain lion
  • Do not feed wildlife

Advice: National Park Service, Saguaro National Park. Level: ours. Silhouette: Margot Michaud (Puma concolor), PhyloPic, public domain.

Black bear

Low danger

The association says mountain lions and bears inhabit Arizona but are for the most part shy of humans, and advises keeping food 100 yards from the tent or hung from a branch.

If you meet one

  • Identify yourself by talking calmly so the bear knows you are a human
  • Remain still; stand your ground but slowly wave your arms
  • If the bear is stationary, move away slowly and sideways
  • Hike and travel in groups

Don't

  • Do NOT allow the bear access to your food
  • Do NOT run or make any sudden movements
  • Do NOT climb a tree

Advice: National Park Service. Level: ours. Silhouette: Abby Weber (Ursus americanus), PhyloPic, public domain.