Camp Wood Is Ours for Five More Years — Here's the Story Behind It

Camp Wood Is Ours for Five More Years — Here’s the Story Behind It

Posted on March 20, 2026 by Russo Modular | 241 Views

By Arizona Trail Riders | Sponsored by Russo Modular — proud ATR members and title sponsor of the Camp Wood Enduro

Arizona Trail Riders has signed a 5-year operating agreement with the Prescott National Forest to continue running the Camp Wood Enduro. In a time when off-road access across the American West is shrinking, this is the kind of win that deserves to be celebrated — and shared.

If you’ve ridden Camp Wood, you know what’s at stake. If you haven’t, keep reading.

Five years. Locked in. The Camp Wood Enduro isn’t going anywhere.

Why This Agreement Matters

Most recreation events on National Forest land operate on annual special use permits — renewed year to year, with no guarantee of continuity. A 5-year agreement is a different level of commitment. It means the Prescott National Forest has formally recognized ATR as a long-term steward of this land, not just an annual applicant.

That recognition didn’t happen overnight. It was built on nearly 20 years of showing up, doing things right, and treating Camp Wood with the respect it deserves. Public land closures have taken trails and events away from riders across the country. ATR’s response has been to work with land managers, not around them — and the result is an agreement that protects this race through 2030.

50 Years of Racing History at Camp Wood

Camp Wood is a former U.S. Cavalry post deep in Arizona’s Prescott National Forest — named for Captain Wood, active during Arizona’s territorial days, later home to a Civilian Conservation Corps camp, lumber mill, and post office. The original military post is long gone. The character of the land isn’t.

Off-road racing here goes back to the mid-1970s, when the Arizona Desert Racing Association first held annual events on this terrain. It earned a reputation as one of the toughest races on the schedule before most of today’s riders were born.

ATR entered the picture in the early 2000s. Club members discovered the Sheridan Mountain Smith Mesa OHV trail system and recognized it immediately. In 2006, ATR held the first ATR/AMRA race at Camp Wood — nearly 200 riders showed up, most of them with no idea what they were walking into. When it was over, they left with a story they’re still telling.

By 2007, working hand-in-hand with the Prescott National Forest, ATR converted the event from a hare scramble to an enduro format — slower, more trail-focused, less impact on the land. The Forest Service’s response, according to ATR’s Don Hood: “Heck yeah.”

That collaborative spirit is exactly what produced the 5-year agreement we’re announcing today.

“We are proud to have our place in the long history of Camp Wood, AZ.” — Don Hood, Arizona Trail Riders

The 2026 Russo Modular Camp Wood Enduro

AMRA Round 5. April 25-26, 2026. Camp Wood, Prescott, AZ. Co-sanctioned with RMEC. Five timed test sections across flowing singletrack, technical rock, and fast forest trails — traditional enduro racing at its best, on one of Arizona’s most storied courses.

Full race details and pre-registration: amraracing.com/race-schedule-1/2026-rd-5

Visiting AEO Powersports? Scan the QR code on their door and register on the spot.