State Land Near Kolb Road Closes to Public
Arizona State Land Department and Tucson officials will bar all public use of the property in the Groves & Lincoln Park neighborhood.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in National Parks
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The Arizona State Land Department has ordered closure of state land near Kolb Road in the Groves & Lincoln Park neighborhood, and the Tucson Police Department will enforce trespassing restrictions on the property. Concrete barriers will be installed at every access point, prohibiting hiking, pet walking, driving, and encampments.
Why it matters
The closure follows years of neighborhood complaints about homeless encampments, illegal waste dumping, and other activity on the property. Residents say repeated contacts with the city and state had not resolved the situation.
The closure order is the product of a joint meeting among the Arizona State Land Department, the City of Tucson, Mayor Regina Romero's office, and the Tucson Police Department. No specific counts of encampments or quantities of dumped waste were reported, and the duration of the closure remains unstated.
The players
Arizona State Land Department
The Arizona state agency that manages state trust land and issued the closure order for the property near Kolb Road.
Tucson Police Department
The municipal police agency that will enforce trespassing restrictions on the closed state land.
Regina Romero
The Mayor of Tucson whose office participated in the joint meeting that produced the closure order.
The details
Concrete barriers will be installed at every access point, and the city and state will notify residents in the surrounding neighborhood and post new signs on the property. City outreach teams will go onto the land to connect people experiencing homelessness with resources and support services.
Timeline
Years of neighborhood complaints preceded the closure order.
The closure is expected to take effect within the next few weeks.
Seasonal Patterns
Arizona State Land Department management of trust parcels in urban edges like Tucson's Groves & Lincoln Park area places the closure within the state's longstanding practice of restricting public access to state-owned land when use conflicts with neighborhood conditions.
Residents who used the property for hiking, pet walking, or driving will lose access once barriers are installed. Neighbors can contact the Tucson Police Department to report trespassing after the closure takes effect.
The takeaway
Public land closures in neighborhoods like Groves & Lincoln Park often follow sustained resident complaints, and the restriction takes practical effect only when physical barriers and enforcement are in place. Residents affected by access changes should track the signage and notices the city and state will post.
What happens next
The Groves and Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association plans to follow up with TPD and the Arizona State Land Department after the closure takes effect to monitor progress.
Further reading
For related coverage of public land access, see National Parks in Tucson.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KGUN.
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