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

Making Memorial Day Memories from Your Home Basecamp

May 22, 2020

Five creative ways to get outside and make the most of the long weekend.

#RecreateResponsibly: WTA, Coalition Come Together to Offer COVID-19 Safety Tips

May 21, 2020

WTA and more than 50 outdoor groups created simple guidelines to help ensure that people can continue to enjoy the benefits of being outdoors — while keeping themselves and our community safe. #RecreateResponsibly

Hygienic Hiking: Gear Up Against Germs

May 20, 2020

We’ve reviewed the best ways to integrate gear that can keep you and other safe on your hike, often by using the items you already have. With a few tweaks, you can streamline your packing list to include a few new essentials.

Staying Busy During Stay at Home

May 20, 2020

How some volunteers are staying busy without trail work parties on the calendar.

Making the Most of National Work From Home Day

May 18, 2020

As it turns out, being a hiker has made working from home a little easier.

Mount St. Helens — 40 Years After the Blast

When Mount St. Helens erupted, it left hundreds of square miles of what appeared to be a barren wasteland. Scientists thought nothing could have survived — and that life would take years to return. Life is resilient, however, and returned sooner than anyone could have imagined. And in the four decades since, life has continued to return in beautiful and surprising ways.

Hiker Headlines: Hike Smart Webinar, Coronavirus Relief and Road Openings

May 14, 2020

It's May 14. We have an upcoming webinar to answer all your questions about how to hike safely right now. A new bill in the U.S. Senate would fund wildfire prevention and provide coronavirus relief to the outdoor industry. And a couple important roads opened up this week. Here's some news you might have missed while out on the trail this week.

Hiking With Critters, Large and Small: What You Need to Know

May 12, 2020

Wildlife encounters on trail can be a source of awe or … itching. Here are a few of the wild creatures people routinely ask us about and tips on how to make potential encounters as positive as possible.

10 Trip Reporters who are Hiking Smart

May 11, 2020

As public lands begin to reopen, hikers are starting to get out a bit farther from home. Here are some highlights from recent trip reports.

Fill in the Blank: Mad Libs for Hikers

May 11, 2020

Whether you're staying inside with pillow-fort tents and microwaved s’mores or driving back from an adventure, bring along one (or all) of these fill-in-the-blank games for guaranteed good times.