Amplifying Voices Across Our Community

Everyone deserves access to trails. We're supporting community partners and breaking down barriers, so that the trails of the future belong to everyone. And by amplifying voices from across the trail community and sharing stories, we can help people know we all belong in the outdoors.

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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.

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.

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

Trails Built for Our Kid: Why Accessible Trails Matter

Wheelchair accessible hiking allows us to share reverence for the natural world as a family. By Krista Hanson

Video: Spotlight on WTA's Outdoor Leadership Training Program

Oct 25, 2023

Hear from WTA staff and partners about how the program has made 18,000 outdoor experiences possible.

10 Stories from 10 Years of Outdoor Leadership Training: How WTA Helps Community Leaders and Kids Get Outside

Oct 06, 2023

Over the last decade, WTA has met some incredible leaders through the Outdoor Leadership Training (OLT) program from a variety of programs, including educators, therapists, youth ministers, scouts, environmental justice workers and members of tribal and affinity groups. As a way to look back and celebrate the OLT program’s 10th anniversary, we wanted to revisit 10 stories from our partners.

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.

How WTA is Building a Path to Outdoor Jobs With Leadership and Collaboration

Sep 26, 2023

WTA's Emerging Leaders Program, which helps increase access to jobs in the outdoor sector, is heading into its fourth year. We're now accepting applications for the 2024 cohort. And we're looking back at what the program has accomplished so far.

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.

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.

Wellness Should Be for Everyone

Meet three professionals who are making the fitness and nutrition industry more welcoming. By Ashton Weis

How One Outdoor Leadership Training Leader Creates Outdoor Experiences Through Science-Based Programs

Jul 24, 2023

A Lincoln High School science teacher teams up with WTA to get students learning outside alongside their peers and community partners.

Y-WE gets Youth Outside. WTA is Proud to Support that Mission.

Jun 21, 2023

Y-WE empowers young women to be leaders in their communities — one of the ways they do that is by taking them outdoors. A strong partnership between Y-WE and WTA have had a strong partnership since 2015, helping thousands and youth and adults get outside.

How Golden Bricks Events is Building Joy and Inclusivity in the Outdoors

Historically, social and institutional barriers have prevented many Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) from safely and comfortably getting outside. Golden Bricks Events counteracts those barriers by bringing together a diverse group of outdoor enthusiasts, from cyclists to birders to climbers. By Chrisha Favors

From the Backcountry to Birdwatching: The Evolution of One Photographer’s Definition of Outdoor Adventuring

The outdoors has always been important to Matt Leaman, but his relationship with it has changed over the years. A single hike sparked an interest that led to new passions and a much deeper connection to the wildlife of the Pacific Northwest. It even led to a new career. | By Tiffany Chou

WTA's Outdoor Leadership Training Helps Communities Spend Nights Under the Stars

May 24, 2023

For nearly a decade, WTA’s Outdoor Leadership Training program has been working to increase access to outdoor experiences by reducing barriers to support educators and group leaders with training and gear for camping and backpacking trips. We wanted to look back and see how those experiences have made an impact.

WTA’s Emerging Leaders Program is Creating a Welcoming Space to Learn and Grow in the Outdoor Community

Charlie Lavides faced hurdles entering the outdoor industry. WTA's Emerging Leaders Program granted them an opportunity to foster and find community on Washington trails. By Charlie Lavides

Historic State Funding Wins for Trails, Equity After a Decade of Work

Apr 26, 2023

WTA and hikers helped secure some incredible, and lasting, wins for ongoing trail funding in the 2023 state legislative session. WTA's Emerging Leaders Program in partnership with Washington State Parks was also funded, along with a number of other important projects and programs around the state.

WTA Work Party Puts Youth Volunteer on Path to an Outdoors Career

May 02, 2023

A WTA work party put a dedicated WTA youth volunteer on a path to a career in the outdoors.