Writer Joseph J. Airdo // Photography by Adrienne McLeod
In the predawn chill of a February morning in 2020, Adrienne McLeod stood at the Mexican border, camera in hand, ready to embark on what would become a transformative journey along the Arizona National Scenic Trail. That first night, as fierce winds collapsed her tarp tent, she couldn’t have known that this moment would mark the beginning of an extraordinary photographic odyssey spanning nearly 800 miles of Arizona’s most dramatic landscapes.
“The Arizona Trail is different for everyone — it’s both hard and amazing. It’s all about extremes: hot and cold, up and down, city and remote wilderness,” McLeod reflects, her words carrying the weight of countless miles and memorable moments captured through her lens.
From the sun-scorched borderlands to the snow-dusted peaks of the Mazatzal Mountains, McLeod’s journey has documented one of the most biodiverse regions in North America. Her photographs reveal a state of striking contrasts — where saguaro-studded deserts give way to alpine meadows, and where dramatic landscapes unfold beneath star-filled skies.
“Arizona is one of the most biodiverse places in the country — or anywhere, really,” McLeod explains. “There are hundreds of bird species, a wide variety of environments at different elevations: deserts, rivers, mountains, grasslands, a huge pine forest, and even alpine areas. If you hike the Arizona Trail, you can see all of these.”
The trail itself serves as a living testament to Arizona’s heritage, particularly poignant as the state approaches its 113th anniversary of statehood this February. Through McLeod’s photographs, viewers witness the changing moods of the landscape — from the ethereal fog hanging over Roosevelt Lake to the dramatic temperature swings in the Grand Canyon, where October days can range from 32 degrees at the rim to over 100 degrees at the canyon floor.
As McLeod approaches the completion of her 800-mile journey, having documented everything from desert wildflowers to unexpected blizzards, her photographs stand as both art and invitation.
“I hope viewers will see and appreciate the beauty of Arizona and the Arizona Trail specifically,” she says. “I want people to go outside, connect with nature and develop a sense of protectiveness toward it. People have a big impact on nature, and we need to be better stewards for the future.”
About the Photographer
For Adrienne McLeod, the path to becoming a distinguished outdoor photographer began in a high school classroom, where she approached her teacher with the ambitious idea of starting a photography club. Armed with her mother’s old Nikon camera and an insatiable curiosity about the natural world, she laid the foundation for what would become a lifelong pursuit of capturing Arizona’s wild beauty.
“I just loved art and wanted to expand my horizons a little bit,” McLeod recalls of those early days. “I did not know too much about it, but my teacher was pretty familiar with the process. So we got a few students together, started a club and began learning all of the technical details of photography.”
What started as a casual hobby has evolved into a serious artistic pursuit, particularly over the past eight years. McLeod’s approach to photography is refreshingly unconventional — less focused on technical perfection and more on capturing the raw emotion and beauty of a moment.
Her work on the Arizona Trail has deepened both her artistic vision and her connection to the state’s diverse landscapes. As an employee of Garmin International, she brings a unique perspective to her trail photography, always ensuring she has her GPS within reach — a practical approach that allows her to venture further and capture more remote locations safely.
Growing up in Tucson instilled in McLeod a deep appreciation for Arizona’s natural wonders. While Seven Falls holds a special place in her heart, and locations like Ramsey Canyon Preserve and Sweetwater Wetlands provide rich opportunities for wildlife photography, she maintains that her favorite trail is always the one she is hiking at any given moment.
This philosophy of finding beauty in the present moment shines through in her work, whether she’s documenting the delicate interplay of light and shadow in the Mazatzal Mountains or capturing the dramatic seasonal changes along the trail’s 800-mile span. Through her lens, McLeod doesn’t just document the trail — she invites viewers to develop their own connection with Arizona’s natural heritage.
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