HikeArizona.COM

I recently got a permit and looking for local known trails on STL around AZ. I have Gaia so I'll look at the map, but just wondering if any of you know of some already besides Daisy Mountain on north Phoenix.

Popwar wrote:I have Gaia

The G word.

@Popwar
Short, but nice and can be linked into any length hike you desire... [ Military Trail - P.A. Seitts Preserves ]

To find State Land, from the top of the page...
Plan > Map > Options > check the box for U.S. Land Ownership
The results are [ US Land Ownership ]
Color scheme legend button in the upper-right
State Land is light purple vs a slightly darker purple seen over USFWS(Cabeza & KofA in the SW)

A few of the hundred-plus here on HAZ
[ Wave Cave ]
[ Newman Peak Trail ] (access, not the hike)
[ Sawyer Peak 4293 - Black Mtns - Tres Alamos ]

Trails for hiking or biking or both?

Get a map and just explore.

@ALMAL
Just hiking

@Popwar One thing to remember is that STL is not public land, in the way that BLM, USFS, and municipal, county, and state parks are. As a result, there is generally no management agency developing and maintaining hiking trails. The land is subject to sale (including for development) in order to generate funds for education in Arizona. You mentioned Daisy Mountain. Because this is a trail used by local residents, it gets plenty of traffic. But it's not really managed by an agency. There are not real trailheads, parking areas, etc. And this is fairly common.

Where there are hiking trails on STL, they are often user-created and unmaintained (the sections of AZT which cross STL being the most significant exception). Which isn't to say there aren't trails to be found. But they're generally under some constant threat of being sold or developed, and thus the closure or elimination of the access people are accustomed to.

I always look at STL as a temporary gift. It could be revoked at any time the state land department decides to sell it!

When I lived in Gold Canyon I would head south across US 60 on the mtn. bike out on the state trust lands explore and camp all the way down to Queen Creek.

I believe some of the Black Canyon National Recreation Trail (BCT) is on State Trust Land, though most of it is on BLM land. It is managed by the BLM. You don't need a permit to hike on any of it.

Sounds like you may be new to the area/the concept of the various public recreation oppys we have here possibly. If you moved here from out of state, you may have stumbled across something about state trust land and thought, "aha! this is where I can hike!". Arizona, though, has an enormous amount of public land. So, you may be better served by giving more details/activities you're looking for/etc before pigeon holing yourself to state trust land

State Trust Land passes may not be as useful as they sound. I've had several planned trips ruined by locked gates and no trespassing signs. The people at the State Trust office are nice but can provide little guidance about which parcels are really open - and there doesn't seem to be any map which definitively has this info.

Just recently I've noticed No Trespassing signs which in smaller print say something like State Trust Land permit holders only. This is good! It makes sense. But in checkerboard N.AZ there are roads and locked gates and No Trespassing signs and, for me at least, a checkerboard map or software doesn't tell the story.

@Hansenaz This is a good point to mention as well. Even with a permit...

Lands leased for agriculture, mining, commercial, or military purposes are not open to recreational use

.Fun fact: Almost ALL of it is leased (primarily for cattle grazing, which is classified as agriculture) and the lessee may allow or restrict recreational access. Again, this isn't public land, and if the lessee is paying money to lease the land, that income far exceeds whatever recreational permit fees generate.

As you mentioned, there is no good resource that identifies which parcels of STL are open to recreation under the permit, and which parcels are leased and closed to recreational use even if you have a permit.

The area around Pyramid Peak in the Northwest Valley has many trails. It's a popular area with walkers, mountain bikers and motorized recreators. Park at the parking area behind the barricades at the top of Stetson Parkway (51st Ave, north of Happy Valley Road,) where it dead ends against the CAP canal.

@joebartels
Coming back from Keystone Peak I spotted a few signs state trust permits but I am not sure how to post a picture on here. They were several signs about and I guess you have to login. It also stated that there are camera through out but then again it may only be for this spot.