Four Trails that Need Your Help in January

This month WTA is working in several locations that need some special attention, and we'd love to have your help! Join us for a day full of safety, fun, and work, and make your mark on the trails you love.

No experience is needed to join a work party, and anyone is welcome. We'll teach you what you need to know and find the right job for you. For more information on what to expect when you join us on trail, check out our FAQ page.

Southwest Washington - Battle Ground State Park

January 8

Kick off the New Year right with a work party at Battle Ground Lake State Park. WTA volunteers have done a tremendous amount of work to fix up the Lower Lake trail, but there's still more to do. We'll be re-establishing the tread, brushing and hardening sections with rock. In addition, we'll re-align the trail slightly farther from the lake to get it away from the mud.

>> Sign up now for the work party at Battle Ground Lake State Park.

Puget Sound - Elk Ridge

January 13-17, 20-24

With your help, Taylor Mountain will have an extensive system of trails; good for exploring even more of the Issaquah Alps. Photo by hikingwithmybrother.

Join WTA as we help King County develop a comprehensive trail system on an old logging show on Taylor Mountain. The main project is a relocation of the Elk Ridge trail near a stream ford. We'll be working on some large turnpikes at the new stream crossing and a retaining wall along a steep hillside that will keep the trail from slumping into the water.

This will be a great way to learn about creating long-lasting, sturdy trail, and with ten days scheduled for January, there are plenty of opportunities to join us during the month.

>> Sign up now for a work party at Elk Ridge on Taylor Mountain in January.

Olympic Peninsula - South Fork Skokomish

January 11, 31

The forest canopy demands your gaze along the South Fork Skokomish River, which is great on a sunny day and a bit wet on a rainy day. Photo by Halfcenturyhiker.

The Skokomish River has a bad habit of changing course, taking sections of trail with it. WTA is working here doing logout, brushing, retread and a short reroute around a couple of problem areas.

This is a very old trail that may have been an Native American route through the Olympic Mountains, meandering through both ancient forest and areas that have seen logging, and parallelling the South Fork of the Skokomish River. Hikers wander for miles, stopping by historic points of interest, including the old LeBar Claim, and Roosevelt Elk can be observed throughout the river basin.

>> Sign up now for a work party on the South Fork Skokomish River in January.

Olympic Peninsula - Mount Walker

January 25

A bench makes a nice resting stop atop Mt. Walker. Photo by skimpyphud.

Though it's only 2 miles long, the steep trail to the summit of Mount Walker leads to excellent vistas of the Olympics, including Mounts Jupiter and Constance, Buckhorn Mountain and across the sound, Baker and Rainier.

Popular for it's year-round hikability as well as the views, the trail requires constant maintenance to keep it in tip-top shape. We'll improve tread, brush, and log out. Come beat the winter doldrums with some exhilarating trail work in the brisk January air, and learn a thing or two about trail maintenance while you're at it.

>> Sign up now for the Mount Walker work party on January 25.