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New ATA member here. If stars align my partner and I want to do a 2 week AZT section hike, late March/early April next year. Would like to travel roughly 150-160 miles, start at a convenient trailhead, and end in a Gateway town (where we would arrange to leave our vehicle if possible).

We would definitely like to stick to the souther half of the trail and experience the desert and Sky Islands. What IYHO would be the best section hike for us? TIA

Starting at Patagonia and ending at Oracle would get you the mileage you seek and put a gateway town at both ends of your hike.

rcorfman wrote:Starting at Patagonia and ending at Oracle would get you the mileage you seek and put a gateway town at both ends of your hike.

I second that stretch. Or Picketpost to Pine. In my humble opinion, both these stretches probably have the most scenery per-mile.

I appreciate your replies. I had my eye on Patagonia as a starting point, and Oracle looks great for an ending point.

Is there anywhere along that stretch that you would consider caching water? Our hiking experience is mostly section hikes on the AT, Foothills Trail in SC and other similar trails in the area. Believe it or not, that has meant a couple of dry hikes during a couple of bad Octobers (most recently this one)....but nothing like the southern AZT would be capable of.

Our inclinations are always cautious with regards to water, and we'll carry 6+ liters any time we have to.

FiveStar wrote:Patagonia as a starting point, and Oracle looks great for an ending point

In that stretch, there are a number of places where the AZT crosses or comes near to major roads. What I usually do is drive to that location, walk 200-300 yards down the trail, and "hide" the water where it won't be noticed by other hikers. Be sure to mark the spot on your GPS, or walk the trail two or three times, to be sure you can find it again.

How about from the beginning (border) to Hirabayashi Campground.

Wow! Has anyone looked at the new resource, "Arizona Trail Day Hiker's Guide", by Jake Baechle?? It's wonderful! Sure wish I'd had this when I was doing the trail by passage. Even now, it's a great resource since I'm still out there doing passages with friends. And it's FREE as a member. Check it out!