Dale Shewalter, a Flagstaff public school teacher, conceived the idea of a non-motorized trail traversing Arizona from Mexico to Utah after numerous long-distance hikes throughout the state. In 1985 he walked from Nogales to Fredonia to begin mapping the initial alignment for the Arizona Trail. He then worked with land management agencies, hiking and equestrian organizations, and several individuals to finalize the route and gather support for the Arizona Trail. His enthusiasm, tenacity, and love of Arizona's backcountry sustained the trail through its early development, and the long-distance trail now highlights the state's biologic, geologic, and historic diversity.