Washington Trails
Association
Trails for everyone, forever
Washington Trails
AssociationTrails for everyone, forever
Our mission: To connect everyone to the outdoors and build a community that gives back to trails and public lands.
Washington Trails Association (WTA) is the nation’s leading state-based hiking and trail maintenance nonprofit powered by the passion and dedication of hikers. Each year, over 5 million outdoor enthusiasts turn to us for education, inspiration and opportunities to protect and advocate for public lands.
Together, we work to ensure that Washington’s trails remain sustainable and accessible for generations to come. By fostering a welcoming environment and engaging with the hiking community, WTA is committed to nurturing an inclusive organization where everyone feels valued, represented and empowered to contribute to the future of trails.
Join us and be a part of something bigger.
Washington Trails Association's trail maintenance program is the nation's largest state-based volunteer-driven trail stewardship program, mobilizing thousands of hikers a year to build, repair and maintain hiking trails across Washington state. Through volunteer work parties and professional crews, WTA restores damaged trails, clears brush, manages drainage and removes fallen trees, contributing over 160,000 hours of labor annually to keep trails safe and accessible for all. Key components of WTA trail maintenance include:
Professional Trail Crews: Dedicated teams of paid staff focus on maintenance as well as restoring backcountry trails that are at risk of disappearing.
Volunteer Work Parties: Year-round, crews of volunteers, ranging from youth to adults, work on trails in regional areas, state parks, and national forests. Learn more about trail volunteer work.
WTA works to transform the passion of the outdoor recreation community into action to protect trails and public lands. We advocate for Washington's outdoor spaces at every level—from the halls of Congress to the state Capitol in Olympia. By weighing in on critical policy and inspiring people to stand with us and raise their voices, we ensure that Washington’s public lands remain accessible and protected for everyone.
Public lands are at a critical moment. The government agencies tasked with caring for our public lands are losing the funding and staff needed to manage and sustain our beautiful landscapes, with dire implications for future generations. At the same time, the challenges of climate change and the increasing popularity of outdoor recreation mean more resources are required to keep our public lands safe, accessible and sustainable. Find out how you can join the movement.
For more than a decade, our Outdoor Leadership Training program has worked with educators and community leaders to provide youth participants with outdoor experiences in hiking, camping, snowshoeing and backpacking. In addition to hands-on outdoor leadership workshops, we also offer free gear library access and funding assistance to ensure equipment and trip costs are never a barrier to the outdoors. Learn more about WTA's Outdoor Leadership Training program.
Spider meadows. Photo by Paul Raymaker.
WTA’s Hiking Guide is the most comprehensive, free database of hiking information in Washington. With an incredible 4,000+ hikes, it comprises content written by local hiking experts and user-submitted information. All data is vetted by WTA staff. Explore our Hiking Guide and Hike Finder map to find your next adventure.
Trip reports submitted by hikers — along with our Hiking Guide — are a living library of trail knowledge. They are a powerful way for hikers to help other hikers, land managers and researchers, ensuring the community stays informed and trails remain accessible for everyone. Trip reports provide real-time updates on road conditions, trailhead parking, bathrooms, trail conditions and much more, empowering hikers to explore safely and confidently.
WTA’s Trailblazer app puts over 4,000 hikes in the palm of your hand. It’s free, user-friendly, contains all the information found in the Hiking Guide and makes submitting a trip report quick and easy. Download the Trailblazer app today!
"We are creating opportunities for everyone who loves trails and the outdoors to come together to be a powerful voice for Washington’s beautiful landscapes. We are the strongest force for public lands when we speak together." — Jaime Loucky, CEO, Washington Trails Association
WTA was founded in 1966 by Louise Marshall and was originally a newsletter called Signpost.
Since that time, a passionate community of members, partners, staff and volunteers has powered our work for over 60 years, and today we are one of the largest state-based trail-maintenance nonprofits in the country.
We have also worked over 3 million hours on trail over those 60 years! That’s over 1,100 trails maintained, restored or saved. And we’re just getting started.
We're looking for collaborative, passionate people to help us build trails for everyone, forever. Learn more about our hiring process, benefits and see our open positions.
Read WTA's privacy policy and terms of service.
