Arizona State Parks are hard to beat. From well-maintained trails and excellent amenities to top-notch Visitor Centers, these parks offer wonderful opportunities to explore Arizona’s diverse landscapes. As part of our ongoing trail work, the TAT team has documented nine trails in Southern Arizona’s State Parks. These trail descriptions are designed to give hikers the information they need to make informed decisions about where—and how—to explore. A New Trail to Explore: W

If you've never experienced one of Arizona's remarkable sky islands, there's no better place to start than the Chiricahua Mountains. Rising dramatically from the surrounding desert “sea”, the range climbs to elevations of more than 7,000 feet, creating a striking contrast between the arid landscape below and the cool, wooded peaks above. Chiricahua National Monument offers miles of scenic day hikes that wind through volcanic rock pinnacles, towering cliffs, and balancing bo

You asked us to find great hiking trails outside of Tucson, so TAT went exploring! Last spring, we headed west to Yuma to hike three scenic trails. This summer, we traveled east to Safford in Graham County, where we discovered two beautiful state parks—and two delightful hikes that many Tucsonans have yet to experience. Our adventure centered around Roper Lake State Park, and its nearby subunit, Dankworth Pond State Park. Together, they offered the perfect combination of ea

For the past 25 years, the Quechan Indian Tribe, City of Yuma, Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area, and state and federal agencies have joined to restore 100s of acres of wetlands along the Lower Colorado River. The result is a 5-mile hiking route with spectacular river overlooks, two State Historic Parks, and a chance for outdoor recreation including fishing, swimming and kayaking. To make exploring easier, TAT intentionally divided the Yuma riverside trail into three 3-

There are only 62 National Heritage Areas in the United States and Tucson is in one! National Heritage Areas (NHA) are designated by Congress as places where “natural, cultural, and historic resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally important landscape”. Unlike National Parks, NHAs are lived-in landscapes which support recreation, tourism and education as well as preservation. The Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area (SCVNHA) is situated in the watershed of the

We are excited to announce that Tucson AccessTrails (TAT) has new support! The Community Foundation of Southern Arizona (CFSA) provided funding to TAT to add new trails stretching from Yuma to Safford. With this CFSA funding, TAT will increase its efforts to encourage inclusive outdoor recreation across Southern Arizona. CFSA has been serving Arizona since 1980, helping individuals, families, businesses and nonprofits create a stronger community. TAT is honored to join CFSA

TAT has a whopping 31 trail descriptions on our website and more coming! But we didn’t do this alone. We have a long list of loyal supporters who believe in our mission and keep us on track. Jamie Maslyn Larson, CEO at Tohono Chul Park, started us out with the sage words “Don’t hesitate. You don’t need anyone’s permission.” Bob Liu at UX@UA gave us a gratis 1-hour hands-on expert consultation to launch our website into the technosphere. Later, he invited TAT to join a 4-pers

Tucson AccessTrails (TAT) is celebrating Spring 2026 by adding a blog to our website. We have so much to share about new trails, our partners and just the joy of outdoor adventures. But first, a quick introduction to the founders of TAT. We are six sisters – five from an all-girls family and one sister-in-law. I am Susan Moran, a retired Hydrologist and the President of TAT. Jeanne Pietrosilli is a retired business owner and TAT Vice President. Molly Palley is a retired Occup