Breaking Down Barriers to Getting Outside

The history and current reality of racism have created barriers for many people getting outside to enjoy the benefits of nature. WTA has been supporting the hiking community since our founding, but in the past decade we have been more intentionally focused on lowering barriers to access the outdoors and making our community more welcoming to all.

The history and current reality of racism have created barriers for many people getting outside to enjoy the benefits of nature. When you consider the uneven distribution of funding, information, green spaces and other resources, it is clear that many Washingtonians aren't able to benefit from or deepen connections to nature.

Trails for Everyone is building off of work WTA has been doing for years to make experiences on trail accessible and rewarding for everyone. We’ve been supporting the hiking community since our founding, but in the past decade we have been more intentionally focused on lowering barriers to accessing the outdoors and making our community more welcoming to all. We're doing that in a few ways.

Reducing Barriers to Getting Outside

We want to make it easy for hikers to find the information they need to get outside. We do that in a lot of ways — through our Hiking Guide and by sharing basic hiking skills in our Trail Smarts series, for instance. Our website is full of good information — and thanks to the support of our members, it has always been free.

We’re also doing hands-on work to help people gain new skills and get outside. One way is through our Outdoor Leadership Training program, which in the 10 years since it was founded, has trained more than 400 leaders. Those leaders have taken more than 19,000 people on outdoor excursions.

Creating Safe Spaces

WTA began offering shared-identity trail work parties more than 10 years ago to provide a safe space for volunteers from similar backgrounds and communities, including women and the LGBTQ+ community. This approach expands our volunteer base and helps more people gain skills in trail stewardship and access opportunities in the outdoor industry. Volunteers who have joined us on these trips have said that, while they had considered volunteering in the past, it was this community opportunity that encouraged them to finally sign up.

We've also built successful weeklong Latinx trail crew experiences in partnership with Latino Outdoors, in addition to work parties with other community-based organizations. And we created a New to Trail Work series to lower barriers for folks to try trail stewardship for the first time.

Our leaders are trained how to foster a welcoming environment, how to recognize bias and how to step in as needed to ensure everyone feels safe and supported while volunteering their time for trails.

We're also helping diverse individuals, including Black, Indigenous, and people of color, gain skills and experience while exploring career paths in the natural resources and outdoor recreation sectors.

building Partnerships — the Cornerstone of Trails for Everyone

None of the work we are doing to create trails for everyone is done alone. Partner organizations are key to making this vision a reality. We are constantly learning from one another and finding new ways to collaborate and grow. Together, we can all get more done.

Read about our work in action

We Did It! WTA Celebrates Game-Changing Investments for Trails, Outdoors this Legislative Session

Mar 11, 2022

WTA helped lead the way to a game-changing win at the state Legislature this year. State public land agencies will receive $15 million annually ($5m per agency) to improve outdoor recreation opportunities by addressing crucial maintenance needs. A new pilot project is being funded to provide leadership opportunities for underrepresented communities in the outdoors. We hope you’ll join us in thanking lawmakers for this huge win.

More Than Just a Cup of Coffee

Getting more people outside, especially those who have been previously shut out from the outdoors, is the goal of Campfire Coffee. Quality coffee is the way to bring people in. | By Charlie Wakenshaw

Hikers Using Wheelchairs Help Improve Our Hiking Guide

Apr 04, 2022

With the help of hikers using wheelchairs, WTA now has a new way to filter our hiking information.

Q&A With a GirlTrek Leader: Harriet Tubman, Walking and Community

Mar 04, 2022

On March 10, GirlTrek encourages folks to walk in honor of Harriet Tubman's 200th birthday. We talked with Trina Baker, a leader for GirlTrek and a member of WTA's board, about why this event is so important — and why she's so passionate about the power of walking and community.

Beating the Winter Blahs Thanks to WTA’s Gear Libraries

Feb 14, 2022

WTA has been excited to see our partners borrowing snowshoes to get outside with youth. We wanted to know how the trips were going, so we asked three groups to share the highlights of their snowy adventures.

Expert Voices: 3 Ways Time Outside is Good for Your Mental Health

Feb 15, 2022

We talked with three of our partners, all mental health professionals, about the benefits they see when youth and families spend time outside.