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 5 years since it was founded, has trained more than 300 leaders. Those leaders have taken more than 10,000 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.

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

WTA Partner Profile: Y.E.T.I. Gets Kids Outside While Building Community

Feb 28, 2023

Since 2015, WTA has been collaborating with the Youth Experiential Training Institute (Y.E.T.I.), which works to make it easier for young people in South King County to get outdoors. Building community is at the heart of their work. WTA's Outdoor Leadership Training program provides gear and resources for Y.E.T.I.'s outings.Their work fits in well with our vision of Trails for Everyone, Forever, and we're so excited to see the program keep growing.

I Was Afraid Of the Outdoors. Now I Help Others Hit the Trails.

It was a winding road to where I'm at, and WTA helped me get here. By Tiffany Chou.

A Path to an Outdoor Career: Shape Your Future with WTA's Emerging Leaders Program

Oct 11, 2022

WTA's Emerging Leaders Program is now accepting applications for the 2023 season! We caught up with some past participants to find out what they're up to now.

Shared-Language Hikes Helped Break Down Barriers to the Outdoors This Summer

Oct 31, 2022

Last month, ECOSS wrapped up its summer season of shared-language hiking trips to Little Si — aiming to expand outdoor access to underserved communities — using the Trailhead Direct program. We connected with some of the ECOSS staff and trip leaders to talk about their experiences hiking with their communities.

Let’s Play: King County Coalition Comes Together to Get Youth Outside

Sep 20, 2022

King County Play Equity Coalition is a network of organizations dedicated to making changes that make it easier for young people in all communities to move their bodies outside — and to get all of the benefits that come with play.

A Tool to Help Wheelchair Hikers Find Trails

With the help of hikers who use wheelchairs, WTA has created a new tool to help more hikers find a trail that will work for them. | By Anna Roth