Today is a special day for the Arizona Trail. May 16 is the 70th birthday of Dale Shewalter, the "father of the Arizona Trail." Although Dale lost his battle to cancer in January of 2010, his dream of a cross-state trail for hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians to immerse themselves in the wilds of Arizona has inspired tens of thousands of volunteers, trail users, land managers and others over the past 35 years.
Please join us in celebrating the birth of one of Arizona's modern-day heroes today by lifting a glass in honor of the man whose dream has positively impacted the lives of so many.
Please visit the In Memoriam page to learn more about Dale and the history of the AZT.
As part of our Trail Blazers project, we are collecting stories about the Arizona Trail's pioneers. We have special page called Dale Stories Remembered and we would love to add your story about Dale if you have one to share. Just email your story and a few photos if you have any, to documentary@aztrail.org.
