Hike-a-Thon 2025: A record-breaking community effort for trails and public lands

Hello! Miles the Marmot here, the official spokemarmot for WTA’s annual Hike-a-Thon. Throughout August, this community fundraiser brings together people from across the state to help support trails and public lands. And, they have tons of fun while doing it!

Fun, family, friends and unforgettable moments — that’s what Hike-a-Thon is all about. Photos by Marilyn Thompson, Diana Chin, Lara Linde, Jennifer Bradwin, Craig Romano and Doug Varga.

Every September, I report back on what Hike-a-Thoners accomplished — and wowie, do I have a lot to tell you about this year. Hike-a-Thoners stepped up in a BIG way, making this our most successful Hike-a-Thon in all of its 22 years!

My little paws have been busy calculating the final totals, and I’m whistling with excitement to share them with you.

WTA’s 22nd Annual Hike-a-Thon by the numbers:

• Hike-a-Thoners registered: 538
• Teams registered: 94
• Dollars raised for trails: a record breaking $247,113!
• Total number of donors: 1,932
• Miles hiked: 10,426 miles, meaning Hike-a-Thoners could have walked almost all of Washington state’s 11,700 miles of trails on federal public land.
• Elevation gained: 1,412,974 feet, the equivalent of more than 2,500 trips to the top of the Space Needle.
• Trips taken with me, Miles the Marmot: More than I can count! Check out some of these great photos from some of my adventures.

Hike-a-Thoners took me on so many amazing adventures this year! Photos by Amanda Mathis, Linda Roe, Jennifer Bradwin and Sue Little.

The humans at WTA and I are so grateful to this year’s Hike-a-Thon participants for motivating such incredible support for trails and public lands. Thank you from the bottom of my little marmot heart!

The funds raised during Hike-a-Thon are being put to use right away to help keep trails and public lands accessible and get people outside. Already this year, financial support from people like you has helped make so much possible:

• Thanks to member support, WTA trail crews have been hard at work. This summer, members helped WTA add 40 days of trail work that had been at risk due to federal staffing and funding shortages.
• Our Outdoor Leadership Program and two gear libraries have facilitated 139 trips and more than 5,000 outdoor experiences for youth and their families so far this year.
• At the Ancient Lakes trailhead in Central Washington, WTA volunteer ambassadors connected with over 430 hikers (92% of the recorded hikers on those days) in 8 days through a partnership with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Our amazing, welcoming ambassadors shared information about Leave No Trace principles.
• Hikers have written 12,818 trip reports in 2025 alone, sharing information about current trail conditions and helping fellow hikers plan their trips. These trip reports also help land managers make decisions about where to invest their time and resources, and help WTA advocate for funding.

I might be headed off for a long winter’s nap in my cozy marmot den, but my WTA colleagues won’t be sleeping on the job. We know that much work is ahead of us. And we'll keep protecting trails and public lands and supporting the people who love them. Thank you for being part of that and for helping to power the efforts to come!

Check out this year’s Hike-a-Thon Hall of Fame below to see all the incredible Hike-a-Thoners who made this year such a success. We’re grateful to everyone who participated this year, and we’re already looking forward to continuing the fun in 2026!

We also have a text-only version of the Hall of Fame PDF. Or you can see it in fullscreen.

Sponsors

Thank you to this year’s Hike-a-Thon sponsors, who help make this community event possible.

Hike-a-Thon is proudly presented by:

With support from:

Prizes generously donated by: