Arizona Peace Trail Trek

The Arizona Peace Trail (or simply AZPT) came to be in 2013 when the Bureau of Land Management and Arizona Game and Fish Depart (AZGFD) decided to take advantage of the huge swaths of beautiful and open land in southwestern Arizona, along with the growing popularity of off road recreation in Arizona. A few short years later, the trail had its inaugural opening to the public in 2016. Today, thousands of outdoor recreationalists travel the off road loop by way of motorcyle, 4x4, SxS, quads/ATVs, and even on mountain bikes (be sure to remain vigilant for oncoming trail traffic). While overlanders flock to locations like Death Valley and the Mojave Road, the Arizona Peace Trail offers a totally different experience, showcasing the rugged beauty of the Sonoran desert in southwestern Arizona. The main track is approximately 675 miles in length, and consists of 32 segments, while the alternative segments add nearly 1,000 miles of additional roads and trail. The track can be driven in either direction and a stock 4x4 should be able to manage the entire track. The Arizona Peace Trail travels through some of the most scenic locations the of Sonoran Desert in Arizona. With its towering saquaro cacti and red rock mesas and bluffs, one might think they've been transported to a John Wayne movie set. Along the way travelers may come across coyotes, bighorn sheep, and wild burros, which are especially prevalent in the old mining town of Oatman. The terrain is incredibly varied, expect to travel through a series of Basin and Ranges (isolated mountain ranges separated by wide plains), the high desert in the mountains, the floodplains of the Colorad River, valleys, canyons, and numerous desert washes. With so many trails to explore and points of interest to visit, the Arizona Peace Trail can feel overwhelming, especially for visitors who don't have weeks to roam the desert. We recommend doing a bit of planning in advance. Do you want to travel on manicured and well kept trails, or does your group want to take on some rockier and more challenging trails? Consider studying up on the points of interest, especially the shortlist of POIs we've outlined in the Discovery Points sub-section under the Route Overview section. Once you've got an idea of the the trails you want to drive/ride and the places you'd like to visit, it's pretty easy to piece it altogether given the extensive list of alternative segments. It's not uncommon for folks to make a daytrip out of the AZPT, while some folks prefer spending weeks exploring the main track and the various alternative segments.