Volunteer News

The stories of our volunteers and trail maintenance around the state.

Stories about volunteers and trail maintenance.

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

WTA Trailhead Ambassadors: Here for You on Trails

Feb 05, 2024

WTA and partners put ambassadors at trailheads all across the state in 2023. Learn where they connected with hikers and how they built a safer, more responsible hiking community. By Nicole Masih-Théberge

Fun moments from backcountry work parties

Feb 23, 2024

Yeah, we work hard and get a lot done on our backcountry work parties, but we have a lot of fun too!

Volunteering with WTA helped me explore new places and make new friends

Volunteering with WTA isn't just a way to give back to trails. For one volunteer, it is an opportunity to build community. By Kathy McLean

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.

Get Ready for Summer Volunteer Trips with WTA

Jan 22, 2024

May we suggest saving room in your summer for a backcountry trip with WTA? They're multi-night volunteer trail work parties that run from March to late September. If you'd like to join us, here's what you need to know to make sure you're ready when trip registration opens.

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.

In-Person Connections: 5 Ways WTA's Volunteer Ambassadors Helped Hikers

Dec 08, 2023

Community building happens on trail, online and in-person and it's an integral part fulfilling WTA’s mission. One way we're doing that work is thanks to our amazing WTA volunteer ambassadors, who are regularly making in-person connections.

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.

The Right Tool for the Right Job

WTA tackles tough projects in the backcountry with the help of both volunteers and paid trail crews. Both are powerful, and their respective skill sets help us coordinate projects statewide. By Joseph Gonzalez

How Two Fireside Circle Members are Making a Difference with WTA

Oct 10, 2023

Two Fireside Circle members share how and why they support WTA, both as volunteers and donors.

Hiker Headlines: Emerging Leaders Program Hiring, Breaking Ground on New Trail, Mount Rainier Road Closures

Sep 28, 2023

WTA is hiring for its next Emerging Leaders Program cohort! We’re excited to have started work on a new trail in Whatcom County. Some new funding come to Pacific Northwest urban forests and communities. You'll want to plan around some road closures that might affect your upcoming hikes, as well as some upcoming prescribed burns near Trout Lake. And we’re starting to see some snow in the high country!

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.

Celebrating 30 Years of WTA Trail Maintenance — and Looking to the Future

WTA’s trail maintenance program has evolved over the years, but continues to focus on the values of community originally envisioned by its founders. | By Anna Roth

Highlights of the 2023 Lost Trails Found Season

Sep 19, 2023

WTA's Lost Trails Found crews have been busy this season. We checked-in to see what they've been up to. | By Joseph Gonzalez

Hiker Headlines: Family-Friendly Work Party, Alpine Lakes Wilderness Survey, Wildfires Rage On

Aug 24, 2023

Join WTA on a family-friendly work party at Panorama Dome on September 2. Take the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Visitors Survey to help shape the future of the area. Wildfires continue across the state.

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.

Meet the Hikers and Writers Behind WTA's Hiking Guide

Did you know WTA's hiking guide is partially written by a team of volunteers? Meet some of the dedicated team of people who help you find your favorite trails. By Anna Roth

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.

Upper Cowlitz Valley Trails Coalition: a Team-up of Hikers, Mountain Bikers and Equestrians

Jul 26, 2023

Historically, hikers, horseback riders and mountain bikers haven’t always shared the same goals about using trails. WTA and our trail maintenance partners in Southwest Washington are a part of ongoing work to change that. By Joseph Gonzalez

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.