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Arizona Peace Trail

Updated: Nov 7

At nearly 700 miles long, the Arizona Peace Trail is the state's most iconic off road adventure. And while Death Valley, the Mojave Road and more recently the East Mojave Heritage Trail are immensely popular with the overlanding community, the AZPT needs to be added to that shortlist of iconic desert tracks! With its towering and majestic saquaros and red rocked bluffs, the Arizona Peace Trail is the perfect place to escape, whether you only have a couple days, or weeks to explore.



Route Overview


Trip Length & Season

Adventure Rating: Baja Trip Length: 675+ miles (main track), 5-14 days Season: October to May provides the best weather. Hit the trail mid-February to May to experience wildflowers blooming. Segments 2 and 3 through the Hualapai Mountains may be impassable at times during the winter months due to snow. Not recommended during the warm season when daytime temps can exceed 110 F.

Digital Maps & GPX Files

Technical Ratings & Terrain

Recommended Vehicle / Moto / Adventure Vans

Fuel, Provisions, and Recommended Gear

AZPT Trail Coding & Alternative Segments Explained

Camping Recommendations

Discovery Points

Land Managers & Other Resources

Permits & Papers


 

Route Details

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.


We recommend purchasing the AZPT Atlas as a means of supporting the AZPT, and to obtain more detailed information about the route.

 

Terms of Use: Should you decide to travel a route that is published on Overlandtrailguides.com, you do so at your own risk. Always take the appropriate precautions when planning and traveling, including checking the current local weather, permit requirements, trail/road conditions, and land/road closures. While traveling, obey all public and private land use restrictions and rules, and carry the appropriate safety, recovery, and navigational equipment. The information found on this site is simply a planning resource to be used as a point of inspiration in conjunction with your own due-diligence. In spite of the fact that this route, associated GPS track (GPX and maps), and all route guidelines were prepared under diligent research by OverlandTrailGuides.com, the route accuracy and current conditions of roads and trails cannot be guaranteed.

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