Key Takeaways
- The southern terminus of the Arizona Trail (AZT) at Border Monument 102 is now inaccessible due to the installation of razor wire by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
- The Arizona Trail Association (ATA) received no prior notice of the fencing and considers the closure a desecration of the historic landmark.
- Future border wall construction is planned for the area, potentially leading to further trail closures in 2026.
- The ATA is working with the National Park Service to create a new terminus north of the planned wall, but construction is not expected to begin until 2027.
- This is the second instance this fall of increased border security measures impacting access to major long trail termini, following restrictions on the Continental Divide Trail (CDT).
Summary
Hikers can no longer access the southern terminus of the Arizona Trail (AZT) at Border Monument 102. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has erected razor wire fencing, effectively blocking access to the historic monument. This action prevents hikers from reaching the point where the 800-mile trail traditionally begins or ends, located within the Coronado National Memorial. The Arizona Trail Association (ATA), the nonprofit organization that helps manage the trail, expressed its dismay at the sudden closure in an Instagram post, advising hikers to avoid attempting to cross the wire for photographs at the monument due to safety concerns.
Matthew Nelson, the executive director of the ATA, stated that the organization received no advance notice of the fencing. The barrier was discovered by hikers and trail stewards between October 21 and November 3. The DHS has yet to respond to requests for comment. The ATA also noted that border wall construction, including blasting, is currently underway west of the memorial, which may cause auditory and visual disturbances for hikers in the area. Furthermore, the DHS plans to construct an additional border wall at the terminus itself in August 2026, potentially requiring further trail closures.
Nelson does not anticipate the government restoring access to Border Monument 102. He explained that once the steel wall construction began in 2020, the ATA was informed that the monument would become inaccessible, situated ten feet south of the new wall. Despite the ATA’s efforts, alongside the National Park Service, to advocate for a design alteration that would preserve access to the monument as the southern terminus marker, their requests were denied.
In response to the inaccessibility of the original terminus, the ATA is collaborating with the National Park Service to establish a new terminus north of the planned wall and a recently constructed service road. The new site will include a monument, picnic tables, and a shade structure. However, construction is not slated to begin until 2027.
The Arizona Trail, officially designated as a National Scenic Trail in 2009, stretches 800 miles through Arizona, traversing diverse landscapes including mountain ranges, arid deserts, and the Grand Canyon. Border Monument 102 holds historical significance dating back to the Gadsden Purchase of 1854, when the United States acquired southern Arizona and the New Mexico bootheel from Mexico. The monument at the AZT’s northern terminus on the Utah border was intentionally designed with the same dimensions as Border Monument 102.
Nelson expressed his strong disapproval of the monument’s closure, calling it "nothing less than desecration" of a historical landmark. He questioned the rationale behind building a physical barrier in an area considered too rugged for vehicular smuggling, especially with a Border Patrol observation post located a mile uphill.
This incident marks the second time this fall that increased border security measures have restricted access to a major long trail’s southern terminus. In late September, the Continental Divide Trail Coalition announced that hikers would now require a permit from the military and undergo a background check to access the southernmost 1.1 miles of the CDT. Non-U.S. citizens would also need a government sponsor and an escort.
Unlike the situation on the CDT, hikers on the Arizona Trail will no longer have the opportunity to take photographs at the official end of the trail. The ATA acknowledged the closure, stating that for the thousands of AZT thru-hikers who have photographed their accomplishment at Border Monument 102, "That seems to now be a part of the trail’s history."