The Arizona Trail is an 800+ mile National Scenic trail that stretches from Mexico to Utah, it connects mountain ranges, canyons, deserts, forests, wilderness areas, and nearly every environment that Arizona has to offer. This is a trail that few sighted hikers dare to thru-hike non-stop, and before Mike Armstrong there has never been a blind hiker to successfully hike the entire Arizona Trail from end to end.

In May, 2011 after 57 days, (45 hiking days @ 17 miles a day average) Mike Armstrong became the first blind man to ever hike the Arizona Trail in its entirety. With this amazing adventure Mike Armstrong accompanied by his 2 sighted guides hiked through some of the toughest areas of Arizona. They would wake up one morning at the base of 1 mountain and setup camp at the summit of another 20 miles away. The days were long, the terrain was difficult for sighted and blind alike, but the experience was like no other.

Mike Armstrong and his team were able to raise just under $22,000 for the Foundation for Blind Children, one of Mike’s favorite charities. The hike was also able to raise awareness for both the Foundation for Blind Children and the abilities of the blind across the state. In every city the team stopped the media was anxiously awaiting to hear about the trail and the adventure of a lifetime.

Arizona Trail Blog Articles:

[catlist=8]