National Trails Day 2025

 That time of year to start thinking about ...

American Hiking Society - Protect the Places You Love to Hike

Volunteer Spring Break Trips

 Time to showcase the wonderful Volunteer Spring Break Trips sponsored by the American Hiking Society. 

See the webpage for details.

National Trails Day 2024

 Again time to honor National Trails Day, coming June 1st.

Get out on our trails!

Benefits of Trails

 From the American Hiking Society.....

• Trails increase the value of nearby properties. 
• Trails boost spending at local businesses. Communities along trails, often called trail towns, benefit from the influx of visitors going to restaurants, snack shops and other retail establishments. On longer trails, hotels, bed and breakfasts, and outdoor outfitters benefit. Without trails and the protection of them, there may be less travel to communities that rely heavily on tourism, resulting in jobs lost and a decrease in tax revenue for the local government. 
• Trails make communities more attractive places to live. When considering where to move, homebuyers rank walking and biking paths as one of the most important features of a new community.
• Trails influence business location and relocation decisions. Companies often choose to locate in communities that offer a high level of amenities to employees as a means of attracting and retaining top-level workers. Trails can make communities attractive to businesses looking to expand or relocate both because of the amenities they offer to employees and the opportunities they offer to cater to trail visitors.
• Trails reduce medical costs by encouraging exercise and other healthy outdoor activities.
• Trails revitalize depressed areas, creating a demand for space in what were once vacant buildings.
• Trails provide transportation options and cut fuel expenses, offering reliable means of transportation for short distance trips. Nearly half of all car trips are less than 3 miles and more than a quarter are one mile or less.
• Trails provide low or no-cost recreation to families.
• Trails increase tax revenues in the communities in which they are located.

Baker Peak, VT, (Long Trail and Appalachian Trail)

See also this previous post.

American Hiking Society Annual Report

 Every wonder what the AHS does?

Read the annual report for the good news.

National Trails Day

 So, if you need an excuse to get out and hike try National Trails Day.

June 4th, 2022

Trail Building Research Survey

 From the American Hiking Society:

Trail Building Research Survey 

You are invited to participate in a research study on trail use and trail building practices as they relate to stewardship ideology, sense of place, and community identity. Researchers from the University of Maryland are reaching out to folks with interest in trails—which is you of course. Your participation will help them develop a more participatory and nuanced understanding of trails and trail work in the United States and elsewhere. Participation involves completing a 15-minute long, anonymous survey.

https://umdsurvey.umd.edu/jfe/form/SV_3kOJAxYAFgAMOOy?Q_CHL=email

 

Support the Great American Outdoors Act

The US Senate just passed the Great American Outdoors Act and now the House must take action!

Tell your Representative to urge leadership to hold a vote on the Senate passed bill and to co-sponsor the bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act!

National Trails Day, June 6, 2020

Spring time is for hiking. So be sure to celebrate the American Hiking Society's National Trails Day on June 6, 2020.

Due to the Covid-19 virus, no in-person events are set, but you can participate virtually.

In the meantime, organize those 1000's of pictures from previous hikes and post them online somewhere to share with your friends.  The pic above is me on Albert Mountain, North Carolina and was taken on 14 June 1974.

From my journal "Broke a hundred today. 2 pics on Standing Indian Mtn, 1 of "R" 2 on Albert Mtn.  Pushed almost 20 miles but turned into a zombie in PM. Am running out of food" .... "cruising (sp) all day except the ascent of Albert (triangle symbol) 60 degree climb.  Staying @ Rock Gap LT...."

If you want a map of this area, click here.

Hiking Responsibly

American Hiking Society has some recommendations during these extreme times.

https://americanhiking.org/blog/hiking-responsibly-faq-covid-19/

Today, I visited Robinson State Park to walk Bubba-Doo,  Came across others do the same, or riding a bike or just getting outside.  We stayed apart, but it was nice to say hi and wish the others "Stay Well."  Trails? Just stay apart.

American Hiking Society Tips for Covid-19

I like AHS's suggestion since many sites are closing parks to the visitor (like our local Stanley Park).  So here are the tips:

Lean on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) for the most reliable, science-based, and up-to-date information about COVID-19. They update their webpages frequently.

Check The Trek for park closures that may affect trails.

For cancelations of events and closures that are related to the National Trail System, see the Partnership for the National Trail System website.

Try to get outside for at least 20 minutes every day, even if it’s just for a couple of laps around the block or playing with your kids. 

If you do decide to travel to a trail for a hike or go to your local park, please practice social distancing, vigilant handwashing, and avoiding touching your face. 

I like the last two most!

For more info, visit AHS.

Oh yeah, in Massachusetts, state parks are open although visitor centers are not.

National Trails Day® 2020

Save the Date
June 6, 2020


Taking place on the first Saturday in June, National Trails Day® is a day of public events aimed at advocacy and trail service. Thousands of hikers, bikers, rowers, horseback riders, trail clubs, federal and local agencies, land trusts, and businesses come together to advocate for, maintain, and clean up public lands and trails.

American Hiking Society's National Trail Day®

From a email I got....

 

 

American Hiking Society's (AHS) National Trail Day® is this 

Saturday, June 1st, 2019 

and we (AHS) have ten tips to make your experience exceptional.

1. Make History:

Take the Pledge to help us set the world record for the most people improving trails in a single day. It's easy. Clean up a local trail or join a trail service project.

2. Adventures are meant to be shared:

You can sign the pledge and improve a trail on your own, but we encourage everyone to join the National Trails Day® party by participating in one of the thousands of events all across the country. Find an event near you.

3. Take photos of your experience:

Capture the spirit of your National Trails Day® experience with a photo and you could win a gear prize package. Share you photos with us on Instagram by using #NationalTrailsDay and tag @AmericanHiking to enter your best photos from the trail. Tag your photos by June 9 for a chance to win.

4. Wear Your Love of Trails:

Don’t let the National Trails Day® experience fade. Buy the special edition National Trails Day® shirt, and each time you wear it, you’ll reminisce and feel great about leaving the trail better than you found it.

5. No Trash Left Behind:

What's the most odd piece of trash you will remove from the trail? Throw a couple ziplocks or trash bags in your pack along with some cheap disposable gloves and you'll get extra cred for packing out the trash others avoid.

6. Up Your Trail Cred:

Join our team, get out, and give back in honor of National Trails Day®. Ask your friends and family to help you protect the places you love to hike by giving $5 for each mile you help improve, or $10 for each year you have hiked, or $20 for every trail you have set foot on!

7. Join our family:

Help us preserve trails through stewardship; advocate to protect natural spaces for hiking, both rural and urban; and promote the creation of new trails and trail users. Your membership to American Hiking Society ensures public lands will still be here for future generations to explore and enjoy.

Thank you for getting out and giving back on National Trails Day®. Together we'll improve 2,802 miles of trail and leave a legacy for the people who follow in our footsteps, bike tracks, and the like.

8. Pack the essentials:

As you gear up for your day on the trail make sure you are ready for whatever you may face on the trail. Check out our list of the ten essentials of hiking to help you pack all the right items for a great day on the trail.

See you on the trail on June 1! 

For more info, visit AHS.

Government Shutdown continues to hurt America and Public Lands

The American Hiking Society is another group pleading our public servants to serve our citizens.  Other Government services are shut down (recall LiDar) and this just stinks.

Come on children, no more temper tantrums!

The Land and Water Conservation Fund

The Land and Water Conservation Fund expires in (link).  Between all the other distractions we currently have maybe some time is needed for our public lands.  To learn more see the AHS site.

In Massachusetts alone, the LWCF has done so much.

National Trails Day 2018

Visit the American Hiking Society page for more info.  And get out on a trail with your friends, dogs, neighbors, family or even yourself.  Google "trails near me" for more ideas.

Spring Break 2018

Looking for a spring break opportunity to do some good?  Try American Hiking Society's trips.

Volunteer Project at Philmont

Kinda' neat to hear about this American Hiking Society project in New Mexico.  I hiked there in (I think) 1972, after recovering from a dislocated hip from a track and field accident.  Further it is neat since I worked with the current Director of the camp back in the late 70's and early 80s.  Pretty cool.

Oh yeah, here is a trail map for Baldy Mountain.

National Trails Day

Still time to get out on a trail.....

http://nationaltrailsday.americanhiking.org/

And for that matter, make every day a trail day.

You never know who you might meet on the trail.

Someone's Dad is lost on NYC's High Line.

2016 Hiking Trails in America: Pathways to Health

2016 Hiking Trails in America: Pathways to Health is to be published on 26 May 2016 from the American Hiking Society website.  This report will "illustrate the very real health benefits of a nation with a well-prepared and connected trails system."  Last year's report can be found here and highlights the economic benefits of trails.

In the meantime, dream about hiking.

A view from Tekoa Mountain, Massachusetts.