National Trails Day is held annually on the first Saturday in June (this year June 6th), and recognizes all the incredible benefits federal, state and local trails provide for recreation and exposure nature. Events held throughout the United States help promote awareness of the wide variety of services the trails systems offer.

We’ve temporarily experienced life with limited access to trails and public lands and, now more than ever, realize how much we need them.

Take American Hiking Society’s #NationalTrailsDay Pledge and commit to taking at least one action in 2020 to preserve trails and fight for equitable access to quality green space.

Once it’s safe to do so without fear of COVID-19 transmission, commit to taking a trash bag with you whenever you hike or go for a walk. Collect trash at a local natural space or trail or along your neighborhood sidewalk.

Tell your Member of Congress why trails and access to natural spaces are important to you and ask them to pass bipartisan legislation that supports trails, public lands, and access for all.

Trails don’t maintain themselves and greenspace for all doesn’t magically appear. Make a gift to a local trail nonprofit to help build an inclusive hiking community to protect your favorite trails and fight for access for all today and for future generations.

Learn more here…

Free guided hikes and other outdoor activities will be offered on public lands across West Virginia on Saturday, June 1, 2019, in recognition of National Trails Day.

Begun in 1993 by the American Hiking Society as a way to introduce people to trails in their area, National Trails Day drew nearly 110,000 people in 50 states to nearly 1,200 hikes and other activities.

This year, National Trails Day events will take place at more than a dozen West Virginia locations, including four in Kanawha State Forest.

Two of the Kanawha State Forest hikes start at 9 a.m., including an easy walk along Spotted Salamander Trail, a wheelchair accessible pathway through a wetland area and along a section of Davis Creek. Carl McLaughlin, historian and hike leader, will recount the role the New Deal’s Civilian Conservation Corps played in creating the state forest.

Other National Trails Day events will take place at:

* Chief Logan State Park: a 2.5-mile walk on Rattlesnake-Coal Mine Trail led by park naturalist Lauren Cole, starting at 9 a.m. from the park’s Activities Building. Participants will receive commemorative patches and certificates.

* Hawks Nest State Park, Ansted: Active Southern West Virginia Community Captain Jacki Wright will lead a 3-mile hike along Cliffside Trail starting from the Midland Trail Picnic Shelter near the lodge, at 10 a.m.

* New River Gorge National River, Kaymoor: A 1.6-mile hike on Butchers Branch Trail led by Active Southern West Virginia volunteers starts at 9 a.m. from the Kaymoor Top parking area off Kaymoor No. 1 Road.

See complete list…

By pledging to improve a trail you’ll join a nation-wide movement to set a world record and (more importantly) sustain America’s remarkable trails system. With your help, we can preserve beloved trails for future generations. Plus, everyone who commits to improving trails will be entered to win weekly giveaways of awesome outdoor gear.

How does this pledge work?

Make your commitment to improving a trail by simply submitting the online pledge. After National Trails Day®, we’ll ask you how many miles of trail you helped to improve to establish the world record of trail service. Everyone who confirms they improved a trail (of any length) will be entered to win the grand prize package of premium outdoor gear.

How do I improve a trail?

It can be as simple as collecting trash along the trail. Or, take your trail cred to the next level and join an organized trail work party to maintain or build new trail. Check out what trail work projects are in your area. More projects are added frequently leading up to National Trails Day®, so check back if you don’t see a project close to you.

What if I can’t get out on National Trails Day®?

You may take the pledge to improve a trail on another day if you can’t get outside for National Trails Day® but we highly encourage people to join the national movement on June 1st.

How do I share what I did on National Trails Day®?

We’ll be looking for photos and stories tagged with #NationalTrailsDay and @AmericanHiking on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Still have questions?

Click here for more FAQs or email [email protected].

Great Smoky Mountains National Park staff and partners invite volunteers to participate in a service opportunity in celebration of National Trails Day on Saturday, June 1, 2019. The national park is once again working with the Friends of the Smokies, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy Regional Office, and the Smoky Mountain Hiking Club to host this large volunteer event on the Appalachian Trail.

This annual work day event has taken place in the park for 23 years and highlights the important work done by volunteers and the importance of trails for recreation, education, and physical fitness. The Appalachian Trail Work Day provides an opportunity for the public to help the Appalachian Trail Maintainers with important trail projects that might not otherwise get accomplished. The work done on the Appalachian Trail during National Trails Day provides hikers with a safe, enjoyable trail experience and protects the resources around the trail.

“This event provides a great opportunity for park supporters to help maintain the Appalachian Trail,” said Superintendent Cassius Cash. “Focusing such a large volunteer effort on one of the highest used trails in the park is a great way to honor National Trails Day and have lasting positive impact on the experience of thousands of hikers how use the trail each year.”

Volunteers will assist with a variety of projects, from cleaning and replacing water bars, rehabilitating steps and turnpikes, to improving trail tread on sections and packing in mulch along the Appalachian Trail between Icewater Spring to Silers Bald and Davenport Gap to Mt. Cammerer.

Pre-registration is required to allow for proper planning for the projects. Tools and safety equipment will be provided. This event is free to participate and all those who participate will receive a commemorative t-shirt. The work day concludes with a picnic at the Twin Creeks Picnic Pavilion. Participants should wear sturdy shoes, dress appropriately and bring lots of water and a lunch for the day.

The registration deadline is May 15. For more information and to register for this work day, visit the Smoky Mountain Hiking Club website. You may register online at www.smhclub.org/forms/NTD2019.htm or you may print and mail the form to the address listed on the form. If you need additional assistance, contact Diane Petrilla at 931-224-5149.

Saturday, June 2, 2018 people across the country will come together to collectively improve 2,802 miles of trails across the U.S.

The Laurentian Lakes Chapter (LLC) of the North Country Trail invites you to join this nationwide effort by attending a Trail Adopter Day at the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge. A light lunch will be served at noon followed by an overview of what’s involved in being a trail adopter.

National Trails Day is sponsored by the American Hiking Society each June to encourage people to improve a trail as well as enjoy the outdoors. The LLC trail adopter program consists of volunteers who maintain a section of the trail to keep it in good condition for hikers, mushroom hunters, birdwatchers, photographers, wildflower enthusiasts and everyone else who enjoys being out in nature.

This year also celebrates the 50th anniversary of the National Trails System, enacted in 1968 to authorize a national system of trails. The first trails established under this act were the Appalachian and the Pacific Crest Trails. The North Country Trail, formed in 1980, spans 4,600 miles from New York to central North Dakota. The LLC is responsible for 72 miles of the trail — from Itasca State Park to Frazee, all maintained by trail adopters.

So what’s involved with trail adopting? Most people are familiar with the “Adopt a Highway” program where volunteers pick up trash along a section of the highway to keep the landscape looking beautiful. Likewise, LLC trail adopters insure the trail is in good condition by clearing branches, checking trail signs for repair, repainting the blue blazes and trimming as needed.

Read full story…

National Trails Day is coming up June 3, 2017, and officials at Shenandoah National Park are holding events on hiking skills.

The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, or PATC, says new and experienced hikers can learn new trail skills at its Trail Patrol “Beyond the Trailhead” event at the Byrd Visitor Center.

There will be discussions on Leave No Trace outdoor ethics and wilderness first aid techniques as well as a demonstration of traditional tools used to maintain trails in the wilderness.

There will also be a series of guided hikes suitable for all ages and skill groups, including families with children, to advanced hikes for adults.

The events and hikes are free to attend, but there is a $25-per-car entrance fee to get into the park, which is good for seven days.

National Trails Day is an annual, nationally recognized trail awareness program that aims to promote healthy living and mental well-being, protect green space, educate youth and adults on the importance of trails, and instill an excitement for the outdoors.

PATC is a volunteer trails maintenance group that maintains 240 miles of the mid-Atlantic region of the Appalachian Trail and 730 miles of other trails in the Washington, D.C. area as well as Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

For more information, send an email to [email protected].

The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference and REI invite nature lovers and adventure seekers to an open house at trail conference headquarters on Saturday, June 3, in celebration of National Trails Day. The event includes tours of the headquarters at Darlington Schoolhouse, guided hikes through Ramapo Valley County Reservation, and stewardship opportunities to help make a difference at this popular park.

National Trails Day is an event held across the country recognizing the power trails have in connecting people with nature. In partnership with REI, the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference will be hosting a litter pickup and invasive species removal at the reservation, as well as a variety of hikes for all interests and abilities. Join them for a family-friendly nature hike, a yoga hike, a history hike, or a more challenging 3.8-mile hike of the Vista Trail Loop, part of which was recently built by Trail Conference volunteers.

Volunteers will also be leading tours of their 125-year old headquarters, where you can check out an art exhibition dedicated to the beauty of wildflowers. REI, as well as other partner organizations, will also be sharing ideas on ways to engage with trails and nature year-round. Refreshments will be available.

The National Trails Day Open House will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Trail Conference Headquarters, located at 600 Ramapo Valley Road in Mahwah. Free parking is available at Ramapo Reservation and Ramapo College of New Jersey’s south lot. Hikes and tours of Darlington Schoolhouse have a suggested donation of $5 for adults and are free for children. Space is limited, and preregistration is required. For details and registration, visit www.nynjtc.org.

Fill up your water bottle and lace up your hiking shoes—National Trails Day is right around the corner.

National Trails Day is the only nationally coordinated event designed to unite all muscle-powered trail activities with the goal of connecting more people to trails. Every trail beckons adventure and has a story to share with any person willing to discover it, and American Hiking Society believes these trail experiences can improve the lives of every American.

Each year, on the first Saturday of June, American Hiking Society and the trails community invite Americans of all ages and abilities to find their own adventure and discover their unique story at one of the thousands of events hosted throughout the country.

By coordinating a wide array of trail activities on a single day, National Trails Day attracts new trail users and helps connect existing trail enthusiasts with local clubs and organizations with the hopes of creating trail advocates and stewards. The task to protect and maintain more than 200,000 miles of trails in the U.S. requires a collaborative effort among trail clubs, organizations, government agencies, and most importantly passionate trail advocates and stewards.

Sounds pretty awesome, right? But wait—it gets better. In anticipation of National Trails Day, AHS is running the Gear Up. Get Out. campaign. Today through May 5, 2017 you can shop for new guidebooks and gear from participating brands and 5% of online sales each day will go to American Hiking Society to protect our trails throughout the country.

Learn more here…

Just in time for the American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day, June 4, 2016, Mendocino County in Northern California will open two new hiking trails.

The 2.3-mile Peter Douglas Coastal Trail routes hikers through redwood groves known as Shady Dell featuring trees with branches that have split off into candelabra shapes. The land, just south of Sinkyone Wilderness State Park, is owned by the nonprofit Save the Redwoods League.

Farther south in Fort Bragg, a new one-mile link will connect north and south portions of the coastal trail at Noyo Headlands Park to create a 5.5-mile trail.

Guides to the trails can be found at trails.mendocinolandtrust.org, a site from the Mendocino Land Trust offering free maps that can be downloaded.

The trails are part of the planned 1,200-mile California Coastal Trail, which is about halfway to its goal of edging the state’s entire shore in a continuous hiking trail.

Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Southern Regional Office of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Smoky Mountains Hiking Club, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park are pleased to coordinate another Annual Appalachian Trail Work Day in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on National Trails Day. They invite you to participate in helping them take care of the AT in the GSMNP. This year also marks the 100-year anniversary of the National Park Service, and the contributions to stewardship of our national parks have never been more important.

The AT Maintainers Committee of the Smoky Mountains Hiking Club and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy are responsible for maintaining the A.T. and its facilities in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a continuing basis. With your help on National Trails Day, important trail maintenance projects are completed that otherwise would not be accomplished; these improvements make the Appalachian Trail in the Smokies safer and more enjoyable for the thousands of hikers who use the trail each year.

Registration information…