Experience Arizona News
Experience Arizona is your one-stop website for all the latest news regarding outdoor adventures in Arizona. We scour Arizona looking for news that will effect you.
Coconino National Forest closing over half of their roads
April 15, 2012
By Matt Marine
The Coconino National Forest is closing more than half its forest roads this May. This will include a ban on vehicle and all-terrain use on over 3000 miles of existing roads areas as part of a 2005 U.S. Forest Service directive to limit off-road driving in the nation's forests.
more (Coconino National Forest article and maps)...
more (AZ Daily Sun article) ...
Davidson Canyon Trail renamed Gabe Zimmerman Davidson Trail - January 4, 2012
January 5, 2012
By Matt Marine
The Pima County Board of Supervisors is renaming the Davidson Canyon trailhead at the request of The Arizona Trail Association, of which Zimmerman was a member and his mother, Emily Nottingham, is president. Zimmerman, a 30-year-old aide to U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, was killed along with five others in the Jan. 8 2011 Tucson shootings that injured Giffords and a dozen others.
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Arizona Trail Completed - December 16, 2011
December 19, 2011
By Matt Marine
The final link in a continuous Arizona National Scenic Trail across the state of Arizona was completed on Friday, December 16, 2011. A ceremony was held on a very scenic and remote mountainside, overlooking the Gila River, not far from the small communities of Kelvin and Riverside. What a monumental occasion!
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Rosemont Copper Environmental Impact Public Meetings
December, 2011
By Matt Marine
You can attend the Forest Service's Environmental Impact meetings on the Rosemont Copper site at various locations throughout Arizona. Click on the link below for a schedule of dates and times.
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Buehman Canyon Land Deal
September 7, 2011
By Matt Marine
Pima County could gain almost 1,000 acres in the eastern portion of the Catalina Mountains near Tucson in a land deal with the Nature Conservancy. Buehman Canyon is near Redington and could become part of Pima County's Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan. The Nature Conservancy is also selling 80 adjoining acres for about $40,000 as part of the deal. It is unclear on what would happen to 4WD roads in this area. Commissioners are set to vote on the deal soon.
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KVOA highlights Aspen Trail
August 10, 2011
Tucson's Channel 4 (KVOA) recently highlighted Mt Lemmon's Aspen Trail as part of their Hittin' the Trails 4 You segment. This is a nice trail up in the cool pines of Mt. Lemmon near Summerhaven that I hope to create an adventure on soon. Until then, you can go to the KVOA link below for more information.
Solar Flares may Disrupt Communications / GPS
August 6, 2011
Recent solar flares may disrupt communications and GPS signals in the near future.
Be Aware of Dangers When Hiking During the Monsoon
July 23, 2011
Hiking, biking or four-wheeling during the monsoon can be wonderful. Watching the clouds and rain come over the mountains. Feel the splash of cold water. A refreshing breeze. All good stuff and we all enjoy the monsoons. But be careful, the monsoon season can be one of the most dangerous for outdoor activities in Arizona.
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest List Specific Closures
July 18, 2011
The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest has put out a list of specific closures due to the Wallow Fire. Click on each ranger district to display a list of trails, areas and campgrounds that are either open or closed due to the fire. As feared, one of my favorite trails in Arizona, Indian Springs, is closed. Sad news.
Some Fire Restrictions Lifted
July 12, 2011
Due to increased monsoons and humidity, some of the fire restrictions have been lifted in Arizona! Great news. Please see the following website for information about specific lands and restrictions still in place. And, as always, regardless of the specific fire restrictions (or lack thereof), please be careful and fully extinguish your campfires. This land is too beautiful to see go up in smoke!
Tourists dies hiking near Sedona
July 8, 2011
A Japanese tourist died while hiking at Bell Rock near Sedona after falling 50 - 100 feet. Very sad. Please, have fun but be safe!
Coronado Forest Partially Reopens
July 7, 2011
Portions of the Coronado National Forest reopen (with fire restrictions) today. This includes the Santa Catalina Mountains (Mt. Lemmon), Redington Pass and Happy Valley. The other portions of the forest remain closed until further notice.
The Moonson Returns
July 6, 2011
The monsoon has arrived and most of the existing forest fires are either out or fully contained. That's the good news. The bad news: the rains may cause flooding in the effected areas.
Huge Dust Storm Hits Phoenix
July 6, 2011
A huge dust storm hits Phoenix. Some amazing pictures in this slideshow.
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Fireworks Prohibited on Unincorporated State Land
June 28, 2011
Due to extreme fire risk, all fireworks are now prohibited on unincorporated state lands.
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Elden Lookout Road Gate Intermittently Closed
June 22, 2011
The Elden Lookout Road gate will be locked intermittently for a few weeks for scheduled road maintenance. The gate should be open on weekends (including Friday's).
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Fires Ravage Arizona - Force Forest Closures
Everyone knows about the massive fires raging in Arizona during the month of June. Some of my favorite places to camp, bike and hike in Arizona are now just ashes. It breaks my heart to think that I will be long gone from this earth before these areas are restored to their original beauty (though I am grateful that I did get to experience them). It’s everyone’s responsibility to be fire smart. All of these fires could have been avoided. Please be careful out there.
Now, what's open and what's closed? Good question. The Public Lands Information Center has a great breakdown of what's open, restricted and closed due to fire danger. You can visit the website by clicking the link below.
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I believe the following adventures are effected by the closures and fires:
- Indian Springs
- Brown Canyon
- Butterfly Trail
- Kentucky Camp
- Portions of the Arizona Trail
- Camp Rucker
- Fort Bowie
- Romero Pools
- Wilderness of Rocks
- Montana Mountain
- Rug Road
- Deer Creek
- Black River
- Senator Hwy
- Bull Springs
- Dragoon Springs
- Cochise Peak
- FR 4393
- Council Rocks
- Fish Canyon
- Flux Canyon
- Gardner Canyon
- Gunsight Pass
- Jackson Cabin
- Marble Mine
- Rice Peak
- Sunnyside
- Sutherland
- Sycamore Canyon
Due to the massive amounts of fires and closures currently going on, all adventures should be verified prior to attempting
OHV Decals at work
Ever wonder what those OHV decals pay for? Here's a story from the Arizona Parks website that gives you a flavor for what improvements your money is going for.
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Tread Lightly Online Awareness Course
The Tread Lightly organization has developed a online awareness course. It's a 45 minute course that teaches you how to minimize your impact on the outdoors.
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