PHOTOS: On Washington Trails Day, Hikers Spoke Up for Trails

A hiker and her four legged friend show their support for trail funding on Washington Trails Day. Photo by Erik Haugen-Goodman.

Saturday August 6, hikers across the state celebrated the third annual Washington Trails Day by getting outside and showing their support for increasing trail funding.

WTA staff and volunteers greeted 1,000 hikers at five popular trailheads where community members had opportunities to sign a petition to support increased trail funding at the federal level and learn about Leave No Trace Practices.

Before they hit the trail, hikers who signed let Congress know that they want funding for trails restored, especially since interest in the outdoors is increasing (54 percent of Washingtonians use trails each year and the outdoor recreation economy supports more than 200,000 jobs in our state).

If you didn't get a chance to show your support on Washington Trails Day, you can still sign the petition!

While we were out on the trails to spread awareness about this important issue, we also had a lot of fun. Thanks to everyone who stopped to chat with us, asked questions about how you can be a good trail steward and wore a sticker to show your support for trails.

See how other hikers celebrated on Instagram and Twitter.

How did you celebrate Washington Trails Day? Did you spot any WTA staff on the trail? Let us know in the comments!

Volunteer Carol Miltimore picked up some trail trash at Rattlesnake Ledge before she joined us at the outreach table. Thanks for setting a great LNT example, Carol! Photo by Erik Haugen-Goodman.

Hiking moms showing their love for trails at Snow Lake. Photo by Kate Neville.

More hikers sign the petition to fund trails. Photo by Erik Haugen-Goodman.