REI Grant Benefits Trails

Good news, hikers! Washington Trails Association has recently been awarded a $20,000 grant from REI for our trail maintenance program. The grant will help support 38,000 hours of volunteer trail work statewide this summer. REI funding will help maintain popular trails like Snow Lake and Lake Serene, restore long-neglected paths, and build new opportunities to get outside and explore.

This grant is the latest development in the close partnership between REI and WTA. In addition to providing generous financial support, you'll see REI employees on the trails with WTA throughout the year. I recently had the chance to spend the day with about a dozen of them on Cougar Mountain. We were there to improve drainage on the Anti-Aircraft Trail. What set this crew apart - besides the fact that some came from as far away as Colorado and the East Coast - was that they all had been recognized by fellow employees with REI’s Anderson Award.

Many thanks to the REI Anderson Award winners who joined us on Cougar Mountain, to the Seattle flagship store and to everyone at REI! Their generous, continued commitment to the hiking community is a big reason why, year after year, WTA is able to help keep your favorite trails open.

Want to pitch in this summer? Click here to sign up for an upcoming trail work party.