Early Successes

See what we've accomplished so far for urban trails.

WTA spent a lot of time in 2019 listening to partners, community based organizations and people who love hiking in urban spaces. But we were also getting work done on the ground, too. In 2019, WTA volunteers contributed more than 7,000 hours of work to urban trails and parks.

In addition to trail work, we've also made our Hiking Guide more robust so you can find your next nearby hike a little easier. In total, we have over 140 urban hikes in the guide, and that number continues to grow. And, thanks to hikers like you, those hikes have over 12,000 trip reports on them, which means you have access to the latest conditions on the trail from people who have visited them recently!

Take a look at some of the other things we've been up to in the early stages of The Trail Next Door below.

MAINTAINING AND BUILDING URBAN TRAILS

McKinley Park by Alan Carter Mortimer

McKinley Park (pictured above) is one of the oldest parks in Tacoma. And, as it's right next to I-5, it provides easy access to an oasis of green in the middle of a heavily-developed area. It features lots of trees and wide trails, as well as a nice playground for kids. A few dozen volunteers joined us in 2019 to help improve trails for hikers in the park.

Bainbridge Island Japanese Exclusion Memorial 2019 WTA Work Party by Doug

In the fall of 2019, we returned to Bainbridge Island and the Japanese American Exclusion Memorial for a youth and families work party. This was our second year working at the memorial to support restoration efforts in partnership with Northwest Youth Corps and the National Parks Conservation Association. Volunteers removed invasive plants, planted tress and designed horticultural displays. This project shows that sometimes trail work itself isn't the only thing green spaces need to thrive.

LEARNING FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS

Girl Trek, WTA & USFS by Monika Derrien

WTA partnered with GirlTrek and the U.S. Forest Service in 2019 to learn more about what benefits people enjoy from walking outside and how to make it easier for more people to get out on trail. In October, we hiked together in Swan Creek Park in Tacoma where we discussed the different aspects of what people want to know about urban hikes, which varies widely from information that is relevant to backcountry hiking experiences.

WTA & King County Field Tour by Britt Lê

As we developed The Trail Next Door, we spent time in the field with staff from King County Parks who work to acquire land and green spaces. They shared with us how they prioritize what land to buy that best serves the communities they work in. They hope to maximize the impact of new spaces by looking for properties that are in areas that are low income, have a higher-than-average rate of health disparities and where many people are within a 10-minute walk of the green space. We supported the King County Parks levy last year to help ensure the parks department has the resources it needs to do the important work of expanding access to nature and green spaces across the county.

see what else we're working on

Vote “yes” for our parks in King County

Jul 30, 2025

Now through Aug. 5, King County residents can vote to renew the county’s parks levy for the next 6 years. Funding from the levy provides 85% of King County Parks’ budget, making it essential to operating the county’s parks and trails.

WTA celebrates a big win with a ribbon cutting on a revamped local trail

Jun 17, 2025

Neighbors, WTA staff and volunteers, and City of Everett staff gathered recently to celebrate the official opening of Loganberry Lane, a revamped trail system in Everett. "If you want to see a big variety of what you can do on a WTA work party, this is it."

Hiker Headlines: Trailhead Direct, new light rail station connects to trails, print North Cascades permits at home

May 15, 2025

Trailhead Direct is back for 2025! King County Parks has opened two new connector trails at one of the new Sound Transit Light Rail stations. North Cascades National Park is allowing most advance backcountry permits to be obtained through email this season. And the U.S. Forest Service will be offering a Scan and Pay option at many of its recreation sites.

WTA and partners celebrate opening of Glendale Forest

Apr 30, 2025

Over the weekend, WTA, King County Parks, Earth Corps and members of the community celebrated the opening of Glendale Forest. The 5-acre parcel of land was acquired by King County in 2020 to create trail accessibility for the historically underserved neighborhood.

Urban forestry and why it matters

Spending time amid trees boosts the enjoyment of time spent in nature. But tree do a lot more than that — they sequester carbon, help create the air we breathe, provide shade, mitigate heat, absorb stormwater and create habitat. But the benefits of those trees are not distributed equally among neighborhoods.

A case for hiking near home

Apr 07, 2025

Hiking is a great way to de-stress, but there’s nothing like traffic to instantly evaporate joy felt while on during your time on trail. Here is our case for considering a hike near you.