American Trails

American Trails’ goal is to drive change in national and state trail policy, sustainability of the trails industry, and participation in trails and outdoor recreation. We have been a collective voice for a diverse coalition of enthusiasts, professionals, advocates, land managers, conservationists, and friends of trails, the outdoors, and livable cities.

American Trails will organize and support diverse coalitions of trail industry professionals, nonprofit leaders, policymakers and other stakeholders from motorized and non-motorized constituencies to effectively advocate for trails at the national, state, and local levels. A strong, organized coalition will develop trail policy guidance for lawmakers and advocates to use to ensure that trail programs within the Federal land management agencies remain fully funded, and directly address the trail maintenance backlog plaguing our public lands.

American Trails will support trail industry sustainability through:

Funding: Build a Trail Fund focused on trail building and maintenance projects that fill existing gaps, and solve the trail maintenance backlog.

Research: Build and support a Research Fellowship, that will inform funding decisions, and feed a robust trails resource library.

Training: Grow and support the next generation of trail leaders. American Trails will deliver training workshops at locations throughout the country. Participants in these workshops are anticipated to include Agency and NGO staff and the general public that is interested in volunteering.

Volunteer Coordination: Build a National Volunteer Trail Ambassador Program to gather data and coordinate volunteer maintenance projects to help solve trail maintenance backlogs within Federal, state and local agencies.

Since its inception in 1988, American Trails has advanced and promoted the development, conservation, and enjoyment of diverse, high-quality trails and greenways across the United States by acting as the nation’s collective voice for trails. Over that time, American Trails has advanced the cause of trails through education and by convening thousands of trails professional and advocates. The growth of trails, their benefits and the industry itself has been a significant contribution to the growth of the active lifestyle movement and outdoor industry across the country. In fact, we believe that access to trails, more than any other single factor helps establish quality of life in America's communities and wild places.

American Trails has a dedicated staff of 5 passionate trail advocates, a connected and vibrant board of directors, and a close set of partners spanning the trails and outdoor recreation industries dedicated to realizing the value of trails to the American experience.

American Trails has become the de-facto voice of the trails industry. Our signature event, the International Trails Symposium and Training Institute, hosts leaders in the trails industry from across North America and around the world. We host this exciting event because American Trails believes that trails, more than any other public amenity, have the ability to strengthen communities and connect us all to our happiest and healthiest selves. Through direct engagement, cooperation, and conversation with our fellow trail leaders, we can realize the value of trails to the human experience. We have also convened the National Trails Training Partnership which is an alliance of Federal agencies, training providers, nationwide supporters, professional contractors, and providers of products and services for the trails industry.

Where would we be without trails? American Trails has launched the Trail Fund to create a focused program in which the outdoor recreation and conservation giving communities can invest in the trails infrastructure that supports our country’s natural areas, industries, people, and communities.

Maintenance.
The Trail Fund is dedicated to sustaining our vast trail networks and beginning to solve the trail maintenance backlog, funding the research that allows us to be effective stewards of our trails, and supporting stewardship education amongst a diverse new population of volunteers committed to sustaining the trails that allow access to the great outdoors.

Research.
The Trail Fund will establish a robust and collaborative trail industry research capacity with a focus on the development and understanding of how trails create value and impact at the community, state, and federal level.

Stewardship Training.
By focusing on engaging younger, diverse populations as active trail stewards, we can build a force of passionate individuals to tackle our nation’s trail maintenance needs.
Every $133 trains one brand new trail steward in high quality trail maintenance and building skills.
$400 builds one high-quality trail steward volunteer to the Trainer level, effectively multiplying the total stewards trained by a factor of 10.