Stories & News

Get the latest news, how-to advice, and feature articles about the trail community, the current hiking season and issues impacting trails you love.

Get local news, how-to advice, and feature articles about our trail community, the current hiking season in Washington and issues impacting trails you love.

Learn more about: WTA member magazine | Signpost blog

We ❤️ Our Members

Dec 28, 2023

Join four WTA staffers on why members are at the center of everything we do. By WTA staff

Start 2024 Outside with Washington State Park's First Day Hikes

Dec 28, 2023

Spend your New Year's Day outside with Washington State Parks with their fun First Days Hikes activities this year!

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.

Why Hiking Is Good for People and the Outdoors

Studies have shown that being outside and experiencing the natural world is good for our health. Trails help us get there -- which is exactly why we need to advocate for them. By Michael DeCramer

Thank You, Community Leaders, for Getting Washington Outside!

Dec 21, 2023

2023 is the Outdoor Leadership Training program’s 10th Anniversary and it’s been a banner year! From all of us at WTA we want to say THANK YOU to the community of leaders from 68 organizations who have joined a workshop, planned, coordinated or led outdoor trips for their school or community this year.

Hiker Headlines: Winter Solstice, First Day Hikes, Echo Ridge Ski Area Opening

Dec 21, 2023

Happy winter solstice! The Echo Ridge Nordic Ski Area will be open for the season starting Dec. 22, and Taylor Mountain's Road K Trail will be closed for about a month starting Dec. 27. Ring in the new year with Washington State Parks’ First Day Hikes. And the Washington State Department of Natural Resources will be holding public meetings in early 2024 to help make a statewide recreation plan.

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.

Why Going Outside is Good For You According to Science

Dec 18, 2023

While hiking nourishes each of us in a unique way, we know there are physical and mental health benefits from getting outdoors. Here are three ways recent science has found benefits to getting outside.

Long, steep, and awesome: wilderness characteristics on Washington's trails

What makes you feel like you're in the wilderness when you're out on trail? In partnership with WTA, researchers at the Pacific Northwest Research Station (the research arm of the US Forest Service) and the University of Washington used trip reports to try and answer that question. Some aspects of these wilderness experiences happen even on trails that are not in federally designated Wilderness areas. | by Anna Roth

The Power of Winter Hikes With Friends

We’re wired to share the experience of being human with others and with the natural world — every season of the year. By Linnea Johnson

Hiker Headlines: Mountain Loop Highway Closed, WTA is Hiring, Pacific Northwest Trail Plan Released

Dec 14, 2023

WTA is currently hiring for a couple of seasonal positions and one permanent position. Be aware of some road closures that might affect your hiking plans. A portion of the Methow Valley Wildlife Area is closing temporarily to protect the mule deer population. And the Forest Service has released its Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail comprehensive plan.

8 Crafty Projects by WTA Staff to Inspire Your Own Handmade Gifts

Dec 12, 2023

Time on trail is inspirational. And for WTA staff, we're often inspired in a very tangible way. (Maybe because we build trails for a living?) We like to get our hands on things, to tinker with gear, pack our paints and experiment. As the days get shorter, and we spend a bit more time warm and cozy indoors, it seemed like a good time to share some of the beautiful things that WTA staff are making by hand.

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.

“In Awe of All That WTA Does” — Members Tell Us Why They Support Trails

Dec 08, 2023

Six hikers tell us why they are WTA members.

Hiker Headlines: WTA Gift Memberships, Outdoor Jobs, Lake 22 Closure, Natural Area Grows

Dec 07, 2023

If you’re still looking for holiday gifts, consider gifting your loved ones a WTA membership! Several organizations are hiring for outdoor positions right now. The Lake 22 trail closure has been extended through December. Nearly 800 acres of land was added to Dabob Bay Natural Area earlier this week. And expect some snow and rain storms this weekend!

Facing a Future Marked by Fire, the Schneider Springs Response Could Prove a Model for Resilience

How one coordinated response to a 2021 fire in the William O Douglas Wilderness could contain the seeds for restoring and building a more climate-resilient backcountry trails system. | by Michael DeCramer

12 Essentials of Christmas Hiking

Dec 04, 2023

It's almost officially winter. Do you have these 12 Essentials?

Hiker Headlines: Highway 20 Closure, America the Beautiful Pass Update, Snowy Forecasts

Nov 30, 2023

Thank you for your support during GivingTuesday! Highway 20 is closing for the season. The America the Beautiful Pass, also known as the Interagency Annual Pass, is changing to allow a single cardholder in 2024. Expect snow in and east of the mountains this weekend. And Bronka Sundstrom, once the oldest woman to summit Mount Rainier, has passed away at the age of 98.

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.

5 WTA Community Partners to Support this GivingTuesday

Nov 27, 2023

Washington Trails Association believes that trails are for everyone, forever. We seek to create a community of avid outdoor enthusiasts who love natural spaces. This year for Giving Tuesday, we are highlighting five community partners that are making waves, rewriting narratives in the outdoors and making sure everyone has access to connect with nature and experience joy in the outdoors. Please consider sharing your generosity with these community partner organizations.

Hiker Headlines: Hurricane Ridge Area Reopening, Chinook & Cayuse Passes Closed for Winter, Meteor Shower

Nov 16, 2023

Nov. 24 is Autumn Day and parking fees will be waived in some areas, and Hurricane Ridge will reopen for the winter recreating season, too. Chinook and Cayuse Passes are closed for the season. North Cascades National Park wants your input as they put together a plan to increase accessibility in the park. And you might be able to catch a meteor shower this weekend.

Found in Trip Reports: Kindness, Rescue and a Community of People Helping Each Other

Nov 15, 2023

What does it look like when hikers help hikers? When we take care of trails and each other? These trip reports paint a picture of what's possible.

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.

A Vision for the Future of the South Mountain Loop Highway

Nov 13, 2023

After 5 years of work, WTA and a cadre of regional experts have completed the south Mountain Loop Highway Trails Vision. This report sets out a vision for the future of this beloved recreation area that is within a one hour drive to 4 million people. It makes suggestions for maintaining key access roads, increasing wheelchair-friendly trail options, maintaining currently inaccessible trails and more.

Celebrating 10 Years of Outdoor Leadership Training for the Next Generation

WTA is celebrating a major milestone in our Outdoor Leadership Training program. For a decade, we have been helping community leaders get outside with youth and families. By offering training, gear and resources, we have helped make more than 18,000 outdoor experiences possible. By Jessi Loerch and Rachel Wendling

10 years of Latino Outdoors — Building Diversity in the Outdoor Community

Diversity is good for the people who love to get outside and for the natural world we care about. By Luis Villa

Hiker Headlines: WTA Named Kitsap County Partner of the Year, Longmire to Paradise Road to Stay Open 5 Days a Week

Nov 09, 2023

WTA is hiring for a Mount Rainier National Park trail crew leader. The Longmire to Paradise Road will be open 5 days a week this winter. Nov. 11 is Veteran’s Day, and parking fees will be waived in some areas. A Draft Grizzly Bear Restoration Plan for the North Cascades has been released, and you can comment. And WTA is very proud to be the recipient of Kitsap County’s Partner of the Year award!

The Plans for Grizzly Bear Recovery in the North Cascades

Nov 09, 2023

The National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently released a Draft Grizzly Bear Restoration Plan/Environmental Impact Statement with different strategies for recovering this keystone species in the North Cascades Ecosystem. You can read the draft restoration plan and make public comment by the deadline of Nov. 13, 2023.

Index-Galena Road Reopens After 17 Years

Nov 07, 2023

Major flooding washed out the road in 2016. On a drenching November morning, the road reopened, restoring access to popular trails in the Wild Sky Wilderness.

How QPOC Hikers and Community Gearbox are Helping Hikers Get Outside

Two hikers who want to make the outdoors more accessible are working together to get the right gear into more people’s hands. By Jessi Loerch

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