Volunteer News

Washington Trails Association news about volunteers and trail maintenance on The Signpost Blog.

Washington Trails Association news about the trail maintenance project on The Signpost Blog.

You can also read WTA volunteer stories, meet our hardworking crew leaders, and see standout volunteers at the Rock Wall of Fame.

Volunteers chip away at early season trail projects

Mar 03, 2025

WTA crews made progress on several early-season projects in the first couple months of the year.

Join WTA on trail and start a new family tradition

Dec 04, 2024

Family trail work, trail work for families, family tradition, work parties, youth, youth and families.

Representation and horse power: WTA and Back Country Horsemen of Washington team up for first joint all-women's trip

Aug 29, 2024

Watch a short film about the first all-women's backcountry trail work trip by longtime partners, Back Country Horsemen of Washington and Washington Trails Association.

WTA youth program wins national recognition

Jul 16, 2024

WTA's youth trail maintenance program recently won an award for efficient management of funds!

Go camping with a WTA work party this summer

Jun 20, 2024

Having a hard time snagging a campsite this summer? WTA may be hosting a work party with camping right where you want to be. Check out the schedule today!

From the Gorge to the border, popular trails are getting love this spring

Apr 03, 2024

It's barely the end of winter and WTA trail crews have accomplished great things already. Thanks to increased staff capacity, we're building new trails in several parts of the state, and our work last year has earned kudos from land managers and neighbors alike.

Columbia Mountain trail gets a brushing on WTA's first winter BCRT

Mar 11, 2024

In February a crew of 12 plucky volunteer snow camped to address backlogged maintenance on Columbia Mountain. See what a winter BCRT looks like.

Hiker Headlines: Rainier and Enchantments lotteries open, WTA launches snow layer, volunteer backcountry trip preview

Feb 15, 2024

Lotteries for early access to permits for Mount Rainier and the Enchantment have opened. WTA's volunteer backcountry trips will be available to preview tomorrow and Mount Rainier’s timed-access reservations open next week. Some closures might affect your hiking plans this week. Plus, we just launched a snow depth layer on our Hike Finder Map to help you plan your weekend.

How an introductory backcountry work party helped one volunteer feel more comfortable backpacking

Feb 14, 2024

Jess Wolf had never been backpacking before signing up for a 3-day intro BCRT work party. Not only did she gain more trail work experience that weekend, but she left with the confidence to take on more backpacking trips afterward.

How One Revolutionary Idea Changed Winter Trail Work Parties in Eastern Washington

Jan 22, 2024

All work parties in Eastern Washington used to go into hibernation during the wintertime, when everything is frozen and covered in snow. That all changed 5 years ago, when Eastern Washington crew leader Jane Baker proposed snowshoe work parties.

Clearing Trails (and Our Story Queue): 6 Stories We Missed

Dec 20, 2023

All year long, all across the state, WTA volunteer crews maintain the trails you hike. Each volunteer contributes to fixed bridges, improved tread or other personally impactful projects, and there are more stories than we can tell in a year! Here are a few that slipped under the radar but we want to celebrate now.

A WTA Work Party was a Life-Changing Trip for One Youth Volunteer

Dec 27, 2023

How one connection made on a youth volunteer vacation was life-changing for a young trail volunteer.

WTA Completes New Tiger Mountain Reroute

Nov 29, 2023

In November, WTA crews finished up a 2-year project on Tiger Mountain, clearing hundreds of downed trees and wrenching more than 40 stumps out of the ground.

New Trails for the Teanaway Community Forest

Nov 14, 2023

We’re excited to start trail work in the Teanaway Community Forest — thanks to years of collaboration and careful planning.

Celebrating Our Volunteers and the Community They Create!

Oct 18, 2023

Volunteer Appreciation Week 2023 has come to a close, and we're all smiles as we look back on the memories we made while celebrating together. Thank you to everyone who joined us for events, we loved getting to connect with you are reflect on all we've accomplished this year.

Wildfires Damage Backcountry Trails. Here's Where WTA Is Helping Restore Them.

Oct 16, 2023

With wildfires burning bigger and hotter across remote areas of Washington, WTA's Lost Trails Found campaign commits year-after-year to restoring and rebuilding resilient trail networks in areas like the Pasayten Wilderness, the Entiat Wilderness and — now — an area of the Naches Ranger District east of Mount Rainier.

Dash Point State Park Reveals: WTA is More Than Trails

Oct 02, 2023

Dash Point State Park is a great example of how WTA works in many different ways to create trails for everyone, forever. We are working behind the scenes to fund land management agencies, and we’re working on the ground to rebuild trails. From empowering partners to get their communities outdoors – to helping everyone who gets outdoors to see the part they play in stewarding the places they love, we are building a better future for trails.

WTA Breaks Ground on New Trail Thanks to Planning, Funding, Volunteer Power

Sep 27, 2023

Last week, WTA volunteers cut brush, dug new tread and built retaining walls to begin work on a new 15-mile loop trail around Olsen Creek in Whatcom County. This trail, and the opportunities to get outdoors that it will create, is made possible by years of work by WTA and our partners.

Hiker Headlines: 30 Years of Trail Maintenance, More Highway 20 Trails Reopen, Hurricane Ridge Road to Close Temporarily

Sep 14, 2023

We’re celebrating 30 years of trail maintenance at WTA! Sept 23 is National Public Lands Day. Take a survey to help Gifford Pinchot National Forest develop a sustainable trails strategy. There are some current and upcoming closures you might want to note when planning your weekend, but — in good news — some of the North Cascades wildfire closures have lifted.

Partnerships Made the Popular Suntop Lookout ADA-Accessible

Sep 05, 2023

Fire lookouts are perhaps the last destinations most people would recommend to someone searching out trails that meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility standards. These locations often come with long, grueling hikes on trails that can be in terrible shape. But thanks to work from a legion of volunteers, nonprofit and agency staff, the Suntop Fire Lookout off Highway 410 will soon be ADA-accessible, truly a trail for everyone.

Tour These Trail Maintenance Projects: A Summer Status Report

Aug 23, 2023

So far this year, we've cleared 2,520 drains, cut 1,297 logs, and hung out with 1,424 new volunteers! We've also done a ton of other projects all over the state. Here's a few of them.

The Power of Annual Trail Maintenance

Aug 17, 2023

WTA's Claire Thompson reflects on why the less-glamorous tasks of annual trail maintenance are some of the most important, cost-effective and impactful trail work we do.

Volunteer Profile: The Pie Guy Is Delivering Smiles to the Backcountry One Slice at a Time

Aug 14, 2023

Meet Mike Read, the "Pie Guy," whose passion for conservation, community, and culinary delights has brought joy to the trail crews of Washington.

Discover Frog Mountain Trail: A Triumph of Conservation and Recreation in Wild Sky Wilderness

Jul 28, 2023

The opening of the new Frog Mountain Trail in Wild Sky Wilderness is a testament to the power of collaboration, conservation and responsible recreation.

Big Summer Plans: 3 Areas WTA is Excited to Work in 2023

Jun 14, 2023

WTA is excited for a summer season of trail work. Here's a preview of some of the key projects we're working on this summer to build trails that will last for years to come.

The Greg Ball Trail: Bridging Past, Present and Future

May 08, 2023

WTA volunteers memorialize longtime WTA leader, Greg Ball, by renovating a bridge in his honor at Wallace Falls State Park.

Young Trail Crews Lead the Way at Urban Glendale Forest

Apr 28, 2023

WTA youth volunteers and Emerging Leaders Program cohort members join forces to build a community trail. By Allie Tripp

WTA Work Party Puts Youth Volunteer on Path to an Outdoors Career

May 02, 2023

A WTA work party put a dedicated WTA youth volunteer on a path to a career in the outdoors.

Honoring a Volunteer for Decades of Dedication to Trails

Apr 17, 2023

WTA thanks Pat Limberg for years of volunteering, both on and off trail, with our white hat award. By Laura Norsen

We Survived Winter in Eastern Washington with Hot Cocoa, Camaraderie and a Rethinking of Trail Work

Mar 27, 2023

Outside Spokane, WTA trail volunteers find a way to give back to trails, help snowshoers and keep community all winter long.