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Little America Hotel is in the process of rebuilding the fence line around its 530-acre property and will soon be closing off access to unauthorized but long-established social trails that crisscross the forested land.

Tony O’Brien, vice president of operations for parent company Grand America Hotels and Resorts, said the change was motivated by concerns over illegal camping on the undeveloped portions of the resort property and the accompanying risk of wildfire.

“This was something we were very reluctant to do,� O’Brien said. “Unfortunately, here we are today.�

Little America staff began conducting maintenance work on some of the property’s fencing last fall, O’Brien explained.

“As we were doing that,� he said, “we found a number of encampments and tents and things like that.�

They also found evidence of campfires, he noted. General Manager Fred Reese showed the Arizona Daily Sun multiple such sites during a visit to the property on Friday, June 6.

Within the past month, multiple small fires were reported on Little America’s property or neighboring properties, totaling about 5 acres burned, according to Reese. Reese and O’Brien are worried about the possibility that a fire on their land could grow out of control and spread rapidly.

“The last thing we want is a fire to break out, and it’s on our property, and it continues past our property affecting others,� O’Brien said.

The company has been paying heightened attention to security because of the fire risk, he said, including their private security team, which patrols the 2-mile loop of official trails inside the resort, as well as requesting assistance from the Flagstaff police.

“We’re leaning on the local police department to give us a hand,� O’Brien said, “but hopefully the fencing will help and we don’t have to worry about more trespassing or individuals starting fires anywhere close to the property -- or in Flagstaff, for that matter.�

To control access to the property, they’re repairing and replacing the T-post and barbed wire fence around the perimeter. As of the first week of June, some gaps in fencing remained where existing trails cross, but, according to O’Brien, those would be closed soon. The company is also in the process of adding additional "No Trespassing" signs to mark the private property boundary.

Reese and O’Brien acknowledged that some users of the informal network of trails might be disappointed by the loss of access. “We’re very reluctant to make this move,� O’Brien said, “but we feel like there’s no other option.� The change, he added, was the end of “countless conversations� internally, and the company is moving to proactively inform trail users of the change.

AZT access to remain open

Social trails and the official Little America Loop aren't the only paths through the property. The Arizona National Scenic Trail (AZT) also crosses Little America’s parcel. The trail, which spans from Mexico to Utah, is popular with long-distance hikers and mountain bikers as well as locals.

“We understand how important the Arizona Trail is,� O’Brien said. “We are leaving that area open for continued use.�

Although there is no formal easement on the property that protects the trail corridor, O’Brien says the company is committed to maintaining access and has been working with the city in that regard.

The AZT is divided into 43 sections known as passages, and Passage 33, the "Flagstaff Urban Route," relies on a short segment through Little America’s land to reach the Flagstaff Urban Trail System, Buffalo Park and national forest lands to the north.

There is an official alternative -- Passage 32, also known as the “Equestrian Bypass� -- that skirts the city. But Flagstaff is “the most important gateway community� of the entire trail, Arizona Trail Association Executive Director Matthew Nelson said, and maintaining the urban route is a priority.

“Little America, City of Flagstaff, Coconino County, everybody has the best interests of the Arizona National Scenic Trail in mind,� Nelson said. “That’s not always the case [elsewhere].�

In a sense, Flagstaff is the home of the AZT: it was a Flagstaff teacher named Dale Shewalter who envisioned a continuous trail crossing the state and brought together trail users and land managers to make that vision a reality. Shewalter prioritized public lands and wilderness experiences for the trail’s route, and over the trail’s 800 miles, it crosses just a handful of private parcels.

Just before entering the Little America property, the AZT crosses a block of former state trust land recently sold to Symmetry, the developer of the Pine Canyon homes on the other side of J.W. Powell Boulevard. According to Martin Ince, senior lead transportation planner for the city, some realignment of the trail is likely within the next one to two years as development on that land and construction on the J.W. Powell extension begin.

The city retains an easement across the parcel, Ince said, but “as things develop, the context that the trail goes through will be different,� and trail supporters hope to maintain the sort of experience that Shewalter originally imagined.

“The most important consideration," Ince said, "is that we keep continuity, even in a temporary way, when that property develops. We don’t want any interruptions to the Arizona Trail.� If possible, he added, the goal is to find an alternative route that can be maintained long-term in order to avoid making multiple alignment changes in a short span of time.

One possible realignment, Nelson said, “would involve more miles on Little America property.� No decision had yet been made, he said: “We’re still in the discussion phase.�

Though AZT users have not been acknowledged as the cause of any of the camping and fire issues on Little America's land, Nelson recognizes the importance of educating users about responsible behavior to maintain good relationships with landowners of all kinds. 

"As the trail gains in popularity, it will become increasingly important for us to reinforce the importance of traveling light on the land,� Nelson said.

Navigating easements, rights-of-way and access concerns is part of the trail's history and future.

“It’s a long game,� Nelson said. “We want this trail to be around and accessible forever.�