Pro-Tip
If by chance you happen to fly one way to either the start or home from the finish as I did, keep in mind that depending on which airline you choose, your bike could cost more to fly than you. Choose wisely!
The process of getting to either of the Arizona Trail trailheads isn’t terrible, but you do need to do some planning. Lucky for you there’s many transportation services to get you there and back. Traveling can be stressful enough or full of potential pitfalls if you don’t know what you’re doing. I put this Transportation Guide – Arizona Trail together to make it even easier.
To help you navigate your way I put this Arizona Trail Transportation Guide together, covering everything from which airports are closest, how to get from the airport to the trailhead and back, parking options, and the best way to get your bike to the starting line and home again. This Arizona Trail Transportation Guide covers:
- Airports
- Transportation to trailheads
- Parking Options
- Bike Logistics
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WHICH AIRPORT TO FLY INTO?
The two most common airports to fly into would be Salt Lake City (SLC) for a start in the North and Tucson (TUS) for a start in the South. I personally few from SLC to TUS when I did my AZT thru-bike and both airports were extremely easy to access and navigate. Both airports are not overly large so you don’t have to drag/carry you bike far.
Salt Lake City
SLC is an international airport so you have a few options when it comes to airlines. United and Southwest will have the most flight options. The full list includes:
If you choose to fly into SLC your transportation to the northern terminus will look something like this.
Option 1 – Schedule to have a friend pick you up and drive 366 miles (about 6 hours) one way to the Stateline Campground.
Option 2 – Jump on Greyhound and get off in St. George. Then have one services listed below to take you to Stateline Campground. (See notes about taking the bus below).
It is possible you could find transportation to the trail through Craigslist.com or from one of the many Facebook pages for Utah mountain bikers.
Tucson
Tucson International Airport is your closest airport to the southern terminus. It’s list of airlines is smaller but getting there shouldn’t be a problem. Like the north, getting to the trailhead is the harder part of your approach.
From TUS you can get on the Tucson’s public bus, Suntran.com
(520) 792-9222 and access various parts of the city but no further. Using a shuttle service or a friend is your only option to get to the trailhead. Check on Facebook or on the Forum at Bikepacking.net about carpooling with other racers.
SHIPPING YOUR BIKE
Getting yourself to the start is one thing, but getting your bike there is another issue all together. You only have two options. #1 carry your bike on the plane. #2 Ship it.
Plane
Most airlines charge between $50 and $150. But also require your bike box have a combined size (length plus width plus height) of 62 inches or charges may apply. Like with planning your resupply and water resources, it pays to do your research when flying. You can find all kinds of “hacks” around paying for traveling with your bike if you search online. They range from disguising your bike, saying it’s a trade show item, to paying for a first class upgrade resulting in it being free. There are too many airlines for me to research them all but don’t hesitate to do the work yourself.
Ship
When it comes to shipping you have some flexibility. Typically you have three options:
- Box and ship yourself (Shipping starts around $70 for a cardboard boxed bike, but actual cost will depend on weight, size and location)
- Pay your local bike shop
- $50 to box (varies per shop)
- Plus shipping cost (Shipping starts around $70 for a cardboard boxed bike, but actual cost will depend on weight, size and location)
- Use Bike Flights
- Boxes, Pick up, Delivery, Insurance, Tracking and more! This is a pretty sweet service, definitely check it out.
- Adventure Cycling Association members get a 10% discount on boxes and cases at Bike Flights, among a list of other discounts with other companies.
Pro-Tip
Whether you’re flying or just shipping your bike be sure to remove your Co2 cartridges.
Also don’t bother fully taping up your box as TSA will most definitely go through it with you before they accept it.
More on the AZT
Read these next.
AZT PLANNING GUIDE
So you’re planning to race/tour the Arizona Trail. Are you wondering where to start your planning?
ARIZONA TRAIL RESUPPLY GUIDE
The more information you have at your finger tips the better your chances are you’ll finish your AZT thru-bike.
ARIZONA TRAIL DISPATCHES
A collection of posts about the Arizona Trail and personal dispatches from my ITT of the trail during my triple crown.
MY BIKEPACKING GEAR LIST
Full comparison of my gear list from the bikepacking triple crown. Pros/Cons, tips, and what I would do next time.
BIKEPACKING RESOURCES
Have questions about the gear you think you need to go bikepacking? Checkout my three set ups and get advice on putting your own together.
PRESS
Our Press Releases and coverage of the Project spans from news sources to online blogs and print magazines.
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