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

Trails: Good for Hikers. Good for Communities. Good for the Economy.

A new scientific study shows that trails give back to the state by boosting the economy and improving people's physical and mental health | By Jessi Loerch

The Trail Next Door: Because Nature Should Always be in Reach

How WTA is working to ensure that everyone has easy access to trails and green spaces | By Allie Tripp

2019 Accomplishments: How Hikers Changed Trails for the Better this Year

2019 was a year to celebrate for Washington trails. Hikers all across the state have helped WTA fix trails, advocate for funding and ensure access to the trails we all love. Thank you for helping us build a future where there are trails for everyone, forever.

One Step at a Time: WTA’s Path to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

As 2019 draws to a close, we take a look back at our progress — and ahead to the potential — in our efforts to help build a more equitable hiking community | By Krista Dooley

7 Years Old, 19 Trip Reports, Excellent Candy Tips

Kai Tatineni has been hiking since he was 4. We love his enthusiastic trip reporters and excellent treat suggestions so much that we met him for a hike | By Dawn Hammer

I'm Not Alone

As a black, outdoorsy woman in a majority white area, I felt alone. But it turns out I’m not — there are black women, and black mothers, exploring the outdoors and finding joy on trails. Here’s how I’m using Instagram to build community — and increase representation for women of color. By Chelsea Murphy.