Fix Your Favorite Trail on National Public Lands Day
WTA volunteers give back to trails all year round, but National Public Lands Day is a national opportunity to come together with volunteers all across America and give back to trails! Join WTA on trail September 28, and help keep Washington's trails hikable and safe.
WTA volunteers give back to trails all year round, but Sept. 28, National Public Lands Day, is a national opportunity to come together with other volunteers all across America and give back to trails!
Join other hikers and trail users at one of the beautiful locations below. You'll spend the day maintaining one of Washington's trails, helping to keep it hikable and safe for trail users all over the state.
- Never volunteered on a trail work party before? No problem. We'll show you everything you need to know. Here are a answers to a few of frequently asked questions.
- Don't have a car? We have an automated carpool system set up online. When you join a work party, we'll help you try to connect with a carpool.
Northwest Washington
- Volunteers stop for a chat in Heather Meadows. Photo Credit: Kathy Bogaards
Heather Meadows: Mount Baker Ranger District
WTA will be working a variety of trails in the popular Heather Meadows area for this National Public Lands Day.
Join us and work in an area with stunning views of Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan. We are partnering our friends from Bellingham REI on National Public Lands Day to give you a chance to win a great raffle item. This trip is an optional overnight with free camping and a barbecue Saturday night. WTA will provide the burgers, just be sure and bring a potluck dish to share with the rest of the crew.
>> Join us for the National Public Lands Day work party at Heather Meadows on September 28.
Wallace Falls State Park: Washington State Parks Department
WTA has a long history in Wallace Falls State Park, from trail maintenance to the construction of the Greg Ball Trail. We have plenty of work to do along the trail to Wallace Falls, which offers two forks up to the waterfall—a magnificent 250 feet of pounding water from the South Fork Wallace River.
We have a variety of maintenance projects to tackle along this trail, including rock work, some possible wood structures, drainage, constructing retread and maybe even some good old brushing. Come out for National Public Lands day and learn a new trail building skill!
>> Join us for the National Public Lands Day work party at Wallace Falls State Park on September 28.
Southwest Washington
Ape Cave Viewpoint Trail: Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument
By September 28, WTA and the Mount Saint Helens Institute will be poised to complete this one mile connector trail. We need helping hands to finish the last few hundred feet of trail in order to open it to the public.
Join us in a scenic part of southwest Washington and help us finish this new trail!
Olympic Peninsula
Duckabush Trail: Hood Canal Ranger District
- Join us on the Duckabush for National Public Lands Day. Photo Credit: nutmeg
The sounds of the Duckabush River accompanies hikers (and volunteers) throughout this gorgeous trail in old-growth forest on the Olympic Peninsula.
We'll be hiking through madrona, manzanita, fir and hemlock as we work on repairing tread along this trail due to water erosion, as well as ensuring all the drainage is functioning properly. Brushing and other general trail maintenance is likely, as is the possibility of seeing various types of wildlife.
>> Join us for the National Public Lands Day work party on the Duckabush Trail on September 28.
Mount Rainier National Park
Skyline Trail: Paradise
The aptly named Paradise is well known for its flower fields, raging waterfalls and rugged peaks. Hikers love to amble about in this area, and their usage takes a toll on the trails. We will meet at the Longmire area of Mount Rainier National Park to start our day, which will be spent making this trail safer and more accessible by repairing tread and installing structures that will efficiently funnel water off the trail. 
Want to stay all weekend? You're welcome to—we'll be working there Sunday as well. Just let us know by Thursday the 19th of September that you'd like to camp, and we'll arrange free camping for you!
>> Join us for the National Public Lands Day work party on the Skyline Trail on September 28.
Puget Sound Area
Cougar Mountain: Red Town Trails: King County Parks Department
This is a Youth and Families work party—a great opportunity for you to teach your young ones the importance of our public lands on National Trails Day. Come enjoy a day in the great outdoors surrounded by your family. We will be rerouting the Coal Creek Falls Trail, just one trail in the mishmash roads and trails in King County's largest parks. There are plenty of opportunities to glimpse wildlife, in spite of the park's proximity to many suburbs of Seattle.
So bring your family and lend a hand in one of the largest wildland parks in an urban area in the United States. The projects are fun; they will make for a great day.
Martin Creek Connector Trail: Skykomish Ranger District
The Martin Creek Connector Trail is a new trail construction project off Highway 2. Designed to connect the Iron Goat Trail to the Kelley Creek Trail, this connector will result in a more unified trail system utilizing the historic railroad grade of the Iron Goat and the very old trail up the Kelley Creek drainage. This now leads into the new Wild Sky Wilderness. The work will include opening up the trail corridor and creating new trail bed.
Talapus Lake Trail: Snoqualmie Ranger District
Two lovely alpine lakes await hikers who explore this moderately steep, popular trail. With the hike to Ollalie (the furthest of the two) just 3.25 miles in, this trail gets plenty of traffic.
WTA will be working on annual maintenance and tread work to keep this hike in shape for the many enthusiastic hikers who come to explore, camp, and fish here.
>> Join us for the National Public Lands Day work party on the Talapus Lake Trail on September 28.
Eastern Washington
Liberty Lake Trails: Spokane County Parks
- View of Liberty Lake. Photo Credit: roxanapeace
Spend this National Public Lands Day just 30 minutes outside of Spokane, working to improve a great hiking opportunity.
This 7.5 mile loop trail is undergoing some major improvements with the help of WTA volunteers. As a result, hikers will be able to easily enjoy destinations along the trail including a beautiful waterfall and large cedar grove. The work will include maintenance as well as trail realignments.
>> Join us for the National Public Lands Day work party at the Liberty Lake Trails on September 28.
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