WTA Helps You Hike Like A Pro

Occasionally, someone asks WTA if we lead hikes. It makes sense, right? We've got the knowledge and the expertise, even the gear, so why wouldn't we offer guided hikes? Because our mission is to mobilize hikers and everyone who loves the outdoors to explore, steward and champion trails and public lands. And that means empowering our hiking community with the skills to plan and take a hike that’s perfect for their specific needs and interests. 

Hoping to organize a hike with your friends? Use WTA's resources to plan a great trip for everyone. Photo from WTA Archives.

Rather than providing structured, scheduled outings, we provide you with everything you need to confidently spend a day outside when it fits into your schedule.

WE GIVE YOU THE INSPIRATION TO GET OUTSIDE…

We know many people get inspiration for their next adventure while browsing our trip reports or scrolling through Instagram. From there, we provide links to our Hiking Guide or Trail Smarts resources so you can figure out how to get where you want to and what the best practices are while you're out there.

Hiking Guide entries provide turn by turn directions and local details for thousands of trails. Between these and the trip reports, you'll be able to get to your hike confidently even without cell service, and know what to expect when you get there.

Many hikes even include a WTA pro tip to enhance your outing (like a good place to stop for food afterwards or the nearest bathroom with running water)! We offer driving directions and transit information (if a bus stop is nearby), so you can get to the trailhead even if you don't have a personal vehicle.

Using WTA to read up on Trail Smarts and find out more about your hike in the Hiking Guide can prepare for your trip, so you can relax when you get to camp. Photo by Trudy Lac.

You can consolidate all this in your My Backpack account on wta.org. When you make an account, you can save hikes, share possible trails with your friends, even get hikes recommended to you with our Hike Recommender! Having all this information lets you hike like you’re with a local expert, without having to actually hike with that local expert. 

...and the tools you need to Enjoy it out there

• the amplification effect
• Our Outdoor Leadership Training program is an example of how teaching instead of showing works. It's the one time we do take people on guided hikes, but it's with an end goal of empowering people to pass responsible hiking skills on to others.
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• HOW IT WORKS: WTA staff take leaders of organizations of school-age youth on training hikes, giving them the skills and resources they need to lead safe and fun outdoor experiences. Read some success stories from this program to see why we believe in training people who work with youth to spread knowledge.

We provide plenty of resources for when you're on trail, too. We demystify passes and let you know when various backpacking permits come available throughout the year. Our Trail Smarts resources are useful whether you're brand new to hiking or want the answer to a random how-to.  We give you tips about what to pack for a day hike, and how to keep your impact out there light. We even have an extensive trail recipe section, so you can pack tasty treats for while you're on trail.

Once you're back, you can write a trip report about what you saw on trail (which is a great way to both remember your day and offer advice to future hikers)! But My Backpack does a lot more. You can save hikes you're interested in doing later, and see what our Hike Recommender suggests you do next. You can even take notes about hikes you're interested in, and share the list with your friends.

Knowing the trail conditions by using WTA's trip reports can give you the confidence to take your friends on hikes in all sorts of conditions. Photo from WTA Archives.

Building a savvy hiking community

We believe everyone who wants to should be able to get outside. The best way to achieve that is to empower you to share the outdoors with your friends and family. By giving you the skills to create your perfect day on trail, we’re empowering you to teach others those skills. And if you choose to pass your knowledge on, the people you teach can do the same for their community.

Giving you the skills to get outside on your own terms means we're creating a community of leaders who can teach the people they care about the same skills. And those people can teach their friends. And on and on.