The Arizona Trail

It was Flagstaff schoolteacher Dale Shewalter's dream to build a trail linking Arizona from its southern to northern boundary. He was the first advocate for the Arizona Trail and a tireless advocate for its planning and construction. He did not live to see its completion, but he did see Congress designate it as a National Scenic Trail. His dream is now a reality, with more than 800 miles of trail open for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding and other forms of non-motorized recreation. The trail was completed in December 2012 with the final work done on the Gila River Canyons section in the Bureau of Land Management's Gila District. Representatives of the nonprofit Arizona Trail Association joined BLM staff to complete the trail and place a survey marker on the spot overlooking the Gila River in Central Arizona. The ceremony marked the culmination of thousands of hours of volunteer work over the past 26 years. The Arizona Trail is a shining example of the cooperation between federal and state agencies and a nonprofit organization.
Visit AZTrail.org to learn more about the Arizona Trail.
This video was produced by the BLM National Training Center.