As the budget crisis in Arizona worsens, a special oversight board has determined that there is not enough money available to maintain the State’s parks system. The state legislature has cut the park’s funding by 61% and already nearly half of the state’s parks are closed. With the additional 13 that are expected to close there will be about two thirds of the parks closed to any type of recreational activity. That means no hiking, no camping, and no picnics on the state grounds.
There are efforts being made by local groups to keep parks open in their immediate vicinities. While this may help in some instances, smaller government agencies are suffering financially too and it may be just a matter of time before even these efforts will lack financial backing. Of course there is no way of knowing when or if the parks might open for business again.
So now we know that a lot of the parks will be closing
There wont be any camping in the parks
There wont be any hiking in the parks
There wont be any day use in most of the parks
The state of Arizona maybe able to save money as they eliminate jobs and cut back on expenses but can you imagine telling your family that there isn’t anyplace to go camping or that there aren’t hiking trails open. Your going to have to watch closely sites such as this one to keep up with what is open and what is not. Closings will include the following:
Tonto Natural Bridge
Red Rock State Park near Sedona
The Lost Dutchman State Park near Apache Junction
Tombstone Courthouse in Tombstone will also close.
We will report on closings as soon as we hear of them and try to inform you about the alternatives that are available.
You’ve decided to start hiking this weekend but where do you find a good trail? If you’ve never done any hiking before this can a serious problem. You can’t just go out and start walking across the state or even across the next county. How do you choose a good trail to start on? And how do you know if you can handle the trail that you’ve picked out?
Luckily there are a number of great places to look for information about hiking or trekking as it is called by many people. If you have an idea about where you would like to start your journey then the first place to look is the internet. You’ll be surprised at the number of hiking videos that can be found on sites that allow you to upload pictures and videos. Youtube is a great source of videos that cover trails in many specific locations. You’ll find all the information you need about trails in various cities and many well known locations throughout the country.
You may want to make a stop at the local book store and check out magazines that are dedicated to hiking in your specific location. They will give you the locations of trails and good descriptions of the actual route. They will tell you how long trails will be and what level of competence you will need to complete the hike you have chosen.
Another place you can try will be local recreation centers. You can find plenty of information to help you decide where to hike and there is always the possibility of meeting others who may have the same ideas about outdoor activities as you have.
Many cities and towns will have a parks department that can give you a list of upcoming activities and even the names of some of the local hiking clubs. Don’t forget to drop in to the local museums which usually sponsor field trips and hikes into the local areas of interest.
You’ll save lots of time if you use the internet
You’ll get loads of local information from hiking magazines
Parks and Recreation centers will have descriptions and ratings of trails that are nearby
Museums can help you with sponsored excursions that will usually give you a background into what ever subject they are concerned with.
If you decide to go online with your search you can save loads of time and energy because the information is attainable with just a few key strokes. You won’t spend your valuable time running all over the country hunting for that perfect place to spend your day.
Hiking magazines can usually be found that are location specific and will give lots of good descriptions of trails in your town or in your locale.
If you stop into local parks and recreation departments they can usually give you accurate information about trails and hiking groups they sponsor. They will have a list of events for the upcoming month or so and you can sign up to join any interesting hikes that may satisfy your interests.
Museums can give you an opportunity to join in on excursions that include a variety of different activities. They normally charge a small fee and provide a guide. I have gone on museum sponsored hikes that included transportation and snacks and were really a lot of fun.
Be sure to let us know where you find the best informtion on hiking in your area.
Now that you have made up you mind to do some trekking all you have to do is arm your self with a few supplies and a little information about trails that are at hand. Hiking can be on urban trails or they can be out in the country. They can be easy hikes or strenuous ones that take you up the sides of mountains. Now that you have the information you can decide what hiking trails will be best for you.
Be sure to let us know about the best sources you find for information on hiking near you.
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You are invited to share your stories of trekking through Arizona with us here on hikingaztrails. We will cover trails that are inside city limits, some may follow river bottoms and then there are those really strenuous ones that will lead us up mountain sides and through steep canyons. Arizona is a beautiful state that’s criss crossed by numerous hiking trails and we will introduce you to as many as we can here on this site.
General | The Hiker January 17, 2010 | 
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