Arizona · Trail 23

Mazatzal

Mazatzal Trail is a 27.2 miles trail in Tonto National Forest, Arizona. The Forest Service rates it trail class 4, highly developed. It is open to hiking and horse and pack stock. It enters Mazatzal Wilderness.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Tonto National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.

Map

One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.

One end34.0018, -111.4773 · Directions ↗
Other end34.2164, -111.4655 · Directions ↗

The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start. The trail is recorded as 8 segments.

The trail

Length27.2 miles
Trail class4, highly developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade12-20 percent
Typical tread width18-24 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityNot evaluated
National designationNational Scenic or Historic Trail
Trail numbers23
ForestTonto National Forest (unit 0312)
StatesArizona
Detail publishedmanagement level, with uses

Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Mazatzal Trail40°50°60°70°80°January: 2.27 inches of precipitation, 4.7 inches of snowFebruary: 2.33 inches of precipitation, 4.9 inches of snowMarch: 1.89 inches of precipitation, 2.0 inches of snowApril: 0.82 inches of precipitation, 2.0 inches of snowMay: 0.54 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 0.21 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 2.81 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 2.60 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.54 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 1.26 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowNovember: 1.48 inches of precipitation, 1.3 inches of snowDecember: 2.09 inches of precipitation, 3.6 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 41.0°F averageFebruary: 43.1°F averageMarch: 48.4°F averageApril: 53.8°F averageMay: 61.4°F averageJune: 70.5°F averageJuly: 76.0°F averageAugust: 74.8°F averageSeptember: 68.9°F averageOctober: 58.3°F averageNovember: 47.7°F averageDecember: 40.2°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 in5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Payson, 13 miles from the trail midpoint at 4,850 feet, station USW00093139 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 20 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 19 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed year-round
Horse and pack stockAllowed

A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.

Wilderness

Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.

Trailheads

The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.

Camping nearby

No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. Dispersed camping is allowed on most National Forest land outside posted closures. The forest office has the current rules.

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    D2 Vincent Rx

    39 mi from the trail midpoint

  • Prescribed
    D2 Dye Rx

    41 mi from the trail midpoint

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.

Explore

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Mazatzal Trail?

27.2 miles, the sum of the 8 segments the Forest Service records under this name in Tonto National Forest.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Mazatzal Trail?

hiking and horse and pack stock. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Mazatzal Trail start?

The line begins at 34.0018, -111.4773 and ends at 34.2164, -111.4655. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Mazatzal Trail in a wilderness area?

Yes. It enters Mazatzal Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.

Source: Mazatzal Wilderness Wilderness

Where can I camp near the Mazatzal Trail?

No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. Dispersed camping is allowed on most National Forest land outside posted closures. The forest office has the current rules.

Source: Tonto National Forest official page

How developed is the Mazatzal Trail?

Trail class 4, which the Forest Service describes as highly developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

How steep and how wide is the Mazatzal Trail?

The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Mazatzal Trail a national trail?

Yes. The record marks it as a National Scenic or Historic Trail.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Mazatzal Trail?

Tonto National Forest, Forest Service unit 0312. The trail is in Arizona.

Source: Tonto National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the Mazatzal Trail?

2 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-18, the nearest D2 Vincent Rx at 39 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 8 segments named MAZATZAL in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0312. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.