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Arizona BDR: Desert-to-Mountain Dual-Sport with Real Permit Homework

Arizona's Backcountry Discovery Route runs 750 miles from Mexico to Utah, from saguaro desert to the Mogollon Rim. Here's how the six sections break down, what the three-permit stack involves, and how it compares with Utah and California South.

Trail Roamer Editorial TeamSep 25, 2026 · Updated Nov 1, 2026 · 5 min read
Rocky desert two-track on the Harquahala Mountain Back Country Byway in western Arizona - Credit: Bureau of Land Management Arizona (public domain)

Arizona's BDR looks like pure desert on a map. Then it climbs off the saguaro flats onto the Mogollon Rim and spends a day in ponderosa pine, and most riders figure out why the people who built it call it more mountainous than anyone expects.

RideBDR's Arizona route page describes a 750-mile line from the Mexico border to Utah that stays east of Tucson and Phoenix, on unpaved roads with rock, mud, sand and water crossings, aimed at intermediate to advanced riders. It sits in BDR's Difficult tier on the routes overview, with Utah, California South and Washington. The current Butler map is the Fourth Edition, dated February 2024, and BDR's FAQ budgets four to six days.

Six sections, border to the Vermilion Cliffs

BDR breaks it into six sections: Mexico border to Benson (128 miles), Benson to Globe (127), Globe to Young (86), Young to Winona (135), Winona to Cameron (123) and Cameron to the Utah border (151). Those add up to exactly 750, which isn't true of every BDR.

The start is a stone's throw from Mexico at Coronado National Memorial, where BDR notes four biogeographic provinces meet and Francisco Vasquez de Coronado's 1540 to 1542 expedition passed through. From there it follows wide graded roads along the border fence, fuels in Sonoita and crosses Empire Ranch, a working cattle ranch dating to the 1870s. Section 2 runs up the San Pedro River to Mammoth, with an optional Harder climb over Pioneer Pass at 6,154 feet into Globe.

Section 3 is the big transition. North of Roosevelt Lake the road turns to gravel among giant cacti, then Forest Road 202 climbs from desert into pines on the way to Young. Highway 288 is BDR's suggested bypass in bad weather. Section 4 climbs the Mogollon Rim, the escarpment at the edge of the Colorado Plateau, and heads north through what BDR calls one of the largest pine forests in the world, with rocky going near Long Lake and Kinnikinick Lake and the San Francisco Peaks out ahead.

The north end turns volcanic. Section 5 runs on hard-packed volcanic sand past Sunset Crater, with an optional spur to Grand Canyon overlooks, and Section 6 crosses the Navajo Nation on wide graded roads before 13 miles of mellow dirt through Vermilion Cliffs National Monument to the finish.

The permit stack, and why weekdays matter

As of March 2026, BDR lists three permits for the full route.

First is the Arizona State Land Trust recreation permit, which BDR lists at $15 for an individual and sells online. Second is a free pass for a short stretch of private land through the CO Bar Ranch in Section 5. You can get it online up to 14 days ahead. Third is the Navajo Nation permit for Sections 5 and 6, which you need both to ride and to camp, at $25 per person. For a solo rider that's $40 in permits before the first gas stop.

The detail that catches people is the Navajo permit office. BDR says you can apply by email in advance, or buy in person at the small round visitor center at the junction of Highways 64 and 89 in Cameron, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. It also warns against entering Navajo land after dark once the office has closed. Navajo Nation Parks prices its general backcountry permit at $25 per person per 24-hour period, so if your crossing will take more than a day, ask the Cameron office how many days to buy for.

In practice, that means a northbound rider should plan to reach Cameron on a weekday afternoon, and anyone riding north to south has to buy in advance, as BDR spells out. On Navajo land there's no alcohol and no firearms, and you camp in designated areas only.

Arizona against Utah and California South

Arizona is the shortest of the three Difficult desert BDRs, and the one most forgiving on fuel. Its longest gap is about 136 miles from Young to Winona, with gas at Clints Well 10 miles off route. The Utah BDR runs about 900 miles over five to seven days, and its gap stretches to 239 miles if you skip Soldier Summit. California South is quoted at 840 miles over six to seven days, with a 153-mile run from Beatty to Lone Pine.

Where Arizona asks more is lodging and paperwork. BDR's FAQ says you can ride it on motels and restaurants, but there are fewer than on other BDRs, some towns are one-motel towns, and there are no motels at all in Young or Winona.

For a deeper look at the other two, see our Utah BDR primer and the Southern California BDR guide.

Picking your month

BDR's best months are May, June, September and October. Most or all of the route can be ridden from April to November if the weather allows, but snow in the high country has lingered into May in some years. The monsoon arrives in August and can bring heavy rain, though not every day.

The temperature swing is the real packing problem. The FAQ notes the desert can top 100 degrees while the mountains drop into the 30s on the same trip, so you're carrying both hot-weather and cold-night gear. BDR also warns that wet roads turn slick or impassable and that you shouldn't cross a flooded wash. Our guide to reading desert and mountain weather helps with the afternoon storm call.

Tracks and maps

The GPS tracks are a free download, and BDR says any unit that can display 10 track logs of at least 500 points each will do. Carry the Butler map and Forest Service maps as backup. Check the AZBDR Route Updates the week you leave, and the Coconino National Forest site for fire restrictions and closures. Campfires are often allowed, but check with the local ranger station first and make sure yours is dead out.

Get the permits sorted and the Cameron timing right, and the rest is one of the most varied weeks of dirt in the Southwest.

Sources

FAQ

Which permits does the Arizona BDR need?
As of March 2026, RideBDR lists three: an Arizona State Land Trust recreation permit ($15 for an individual), a free CO Bar Ranch pass for Section 5, and a Navajo Nation permit for Sections 5 and 6 at $25 per person.
When is the Cameron permit office open?
RideBDR lists the Cameron Visitor Center at the junction of Highways 64 and 89 as open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Riders heading north to south should buy the Navajo permit in advance.

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