Pit toilets and other facilities along the trail

[AndrewAZ]

A helpful list for future hikers! When hiking the trail, my buddy and I frequently complained about the lack of pit toilets and the general silence of the databook when it came to such things. I can't do anything about the long stretches without one, but I can at least provide a list. Everything listed here is a pit toilet unless in a town or otherwise noted. Please add to the list if I've missed some! This is based on my notes and could easily be incomplete.

1.8 Montezuma Pass
21.3 Parker Canyon Lake (off trail at the Lake)
52.3 Patagonia
78.2 Kentucky Camp

118.8 La Posta Quemada Ranch
121.3 La Sevilla picnic area
137.1 Grass Shack CG
163.5 Molino Basin CG
166.1 Gordon Hirayabashi TH
184.5 Marshall Gulch TH
185.6 Summerhaven

~200 Oracle (off trail)
264.9 Kelvin (no official facilities--supposedly people in Wilsons Trailer Park are hiker friendly, but we had no luck. Found a port-a-potty along Centurion Rd, though).

301.2 Picketpost TH
~300 Superior
346.7 Roosevelt Lake Marina, National Forest Service office

440.3 LF Ranch (if she's home--she was gone when we passed through)
463.9 Pine
494.4 Rock Crossing CG (all bathrooms locked when we were there in mid-April)
498.1 Blue Ridge CG (all bathrooms locked when we were there in mid-April)
499.6 Blue Ridge Ranger Station

538.0 Mormon Lake
542.8 Double Springs CG (all bathrooms boarded up when we were there in mid-April)
552.5 Pine Grove CG (roughly a mile off-trail; has running water and faucets)
~575 Flagstaff (taking route through Flag)
~578 Buffalo Park TH (taking route through Flag)

665.2 Russell Tank
676.8 Grandview Lookout Tower
691.3 Tusayan
697.6 Grand Canyon Village

~700 several in the Grand Canyon (S. Kaibab TH, Cedar Ridge, Phantom Ranch, Cottonwood Creek, Pumphouse, N. Kaibab TH, etc.)
721.9 Widforss TJ
770.6 Jacob Lake (off trail)
772.2 Orderville TH
800 State Line CG

[azbackpackr]

Um, why do you need one? I personally prefer, on a backpacking trip, to dig a cat hole, unless the area is very crowded with people, in which case outhouses are preferable to accidentally digging up someone else's poo. However, I hardly think anywhere along the AZT other than in Grand Canyon and a few other popular places, that outhouses would be necessary. Even when they are available, I've often been known to avoid using them.

[blisterfree]

Personally think the most important thing is to bag your TP (except at outhouses, which along the AZ Trail is most of the time). Desert "soils" aren't particularly organic, and it's usually a PITA to dig a cathole deep enough to bury both poop and paper, unless maybe you're a one-sheet-per-day type. Poop ceases to be an aesthetic concern MUCH more quickly than paper products.

[blisterfree]

Even when they are available, I've often been known to avoid using them.

What a thing to be known for, by the way.

[azbackpackr]

I don't give a sh*t. Haha!

There are places in Arizona that could use pit toilets at places where backpackers often camp. One of those places is Aravaipa. I would venture to guess that most passages of the AZT get very little traffic compared to Aravaipa, which has nasty poo spots all around its campsites. At trailheads, pit toilets are appropriate, I agree. But what backpacker is going to camp at a trailhead, unless it's the night before the hike is to begin. I don't get this thread.

[AndrewAZ]

Personally think the most important thing is to bag your TP (except at outhouses, which along the AZ Trail is most of the time). Desert "soils" aren't particularly organic, and it's usually a PITA to dig a cathole deep enough to bury both poop and paper, unless maybe you're a one-sheet-per-day type. Poop ceases to be an aesthetic concern MUCH more quickly than paper products.

True. Also, there are plenty of places where it's difficult to even dig a basic cathole. Rocky soil on top of caliche is not fun. If it's possible to know ahead of time that there's a pit toilet coming up and therefore avoid digging in tough ground or packing out TP, then it seems like useful knowledge. If there isn't one, so it goes. Time to commune with nature.

[blisterfree]

At trailheads, pit toilets are appropriate, I agree. But what backpacker is going to camp at a trailhead, unless it's the night before the hike is to begin. I don't get this thread.

Yeah, but have you seen the new AZT trailhead along Florence-Kelvin Highway? It's big enough for a Motel 6, and that's not an exaggeration. Meanwhile, a level acre of solid camping opportunities... but alas, no privy.

[azbackpackr]

Is that the one that Pinal County paid for? A friend of mind did some volunteer work on that TH.

[blisterfree]

Not sure. Either that, or Asarco perhaps? I know they have big plans for the area that are patently not in the interest of the Arizona Trail. So as we've seen with Rosemont in the Santa Ritas, that often means a lot of feel-good posturing years in advance.

But yes, nice trailhead..!

[Dave1]

Does anyone know if there's an outside water spigot at the Tonto Basin Visitor Center? In case someone is there after hours and needs water. Any other places nearby to get treated water?

[sirena]

Dave, there is a water fountain and bathrooms at the Roosevelt visitor's center.

[Dave1]

@sirena
Thanks. I called them on Sunday and they said there's a store at the trailer park and also one at the marina.

[Sredfield]

there's a store at the trailer park

Really?! Is this new? When did this happen? I heard there was a change in authorization for the park recently, maybe this is part of that.

[Dave1]

@Sredfield
I didn't see a store in the TP as I was coming down the trail that overlooks the park but I didn't walk through the park either so I'm just going by what the person answering the visitor center phone said. Also, the vis center was closed yesterday even though their website states that they only close on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day. On the phone, they made it sound like water is not available after hours and with the gate closed I didn't go check it out. Luckily I didn't run out of water and my ride met me by the marina when I finished passages 18 & 19 so I didn't have to drink from Lake Benzene.