Washington Trails Association
@washingtontrails.bsky.social
Washington Trails Association is a nonprofit organization that protects and maintains our hiking trails.
Check us out at wta.org
Check us out at wta.org
One year ago, WTA asked you to protect climate progress by defending the #ClimateCommitmentAct. Ninety-five percent of funds have already been put to work on projects, touching every county in our state.
Learn about some of the big projects funded by this act statewide 🌲
Learn about some of the big projects funded by this act statewide 🌲
See how your vote is creating healthy forests and new trails thanks to the Climate Commitment Act
One year ago, Washington residents voted to defend the Climate Commitment Act. Now, we’d like to celebrate how this act is benefiting lands in Washington state and the people who enjoy them.
www.wta.org
November 10, 2025 at 4:55 PM
One year ago, WTA asked you to protect climate progress by defending the #ClimateCommitmentAct. Ninety-five percent of funds have already been put to work on projects, touching every county in our state.
Learn about some of the big projects funded by this act statewide 🌲
Learn about some of the big projects funded by this act statewide 🌲
Volunteer trail crew leaders play a vital role in WTA's work on trails statewide. Meet a few of the crew leaders behind the helmets and learn what makes their experiences so enriching ⛏️
6 volunteer crew leaders who build trails and community
Our amazing volunteer leaders ensure our work parties are safe, fun and even get a little work done. Their deep love for the outdoors and appreciation for our community make them a priceless part of W...
www.wta.org
November 10, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Volunteer trail crew leaders play a vital role in WTA's work on trails statewide. Meet a few of the crew leaders behind the helmets and learn what makes their experiences so enriching ⛏️
This summer, WTA worked with our nonprofit partners in Outdoor Alliance Washington to plan hikes with three congressional offices.
Learn how connecting with legislators on trail helps WTA and our partners build strong relationships to advocate for trails 🌲
Learn how connecting with legislators on trail helps WTA and our partners build strong relationships to advocate for trails 🌲
Hiking with members of Congress to advocate for trails and national public lands
This summer, WTA worked with our nonprofit partners in Outdoor Alliance Washington to plan hikes with three congressional offices. Hiking with legislators gives everyone the opportunity to slow down, ...
www.wta.org
November 7, 2025 at 4:42 PM
This summer, WTA worked with our nonprofit partners in Outdoor Alliance Washington to plan hikes with three congressional offices.
Learn how connecting with legislators on trail helps WTA and our partners build strong relationships to advocate for trails 🌲
Learn how connecting with legislators on trail helps WTA and our partners build strong relationships to advocate for trails 🌲
We’ve got updates on closures at Mount Rainier. Plus information on an upcoming fee-free day, sno-park passes and events this weekend with WTA. Here’s the news you may have missed while out on trail this week.
Hiker Headlines: It's sno-park season, Carter Falls trail closed, fee-free day
Veterans Day is a fee-free day. WTA and other organizations will be at Summon the Snow at the Seattle REI this Saturday! Cayuse Pass is closed at Mount Rainier National Park boundary for the winter an...
www.wta.org
November 6, 2025 at 9:17 PM
We’ve got updates on closures at Mount Rainier. Plus information on an upcoming fee-free day, sno-park passes and events this weekend with WTA. Here’s the news you may have missed while out on trail this week.
Fall hiking = fun.
Soggy, wet fall hiking = a little less fun.
Get some perspective on #rain gear to stay dry this autumn 🍂
Soggy, wet fall hiking = a little less fun.
Get some perspective on #rain gear to stay dry this autumn 🍂
How to Find the Right Rain Gear for Year Round Hiking
If you hike in the Pacific Northwest, you’re eventually going to be hiking in the rain. If you’re lucky, it’s just a few drops or a short shower; sometimes, it’s a torrential downpour that lasts for h...
www.wta.org
November 4, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Fall hiking = fun.
Soggy, wet fall hiking = a little less fun.
Get some perspective on #rain gear to stay dry this autumn 🍂
Soggy, wet fall hiking = a little less fun.
Get some perspective on #rain gear to stay dry this autumn 🍂
It’s Volunteer Appreciation Week! Across the state, we’re celebrating our volunteers and the remarkable difference they make for trails and hikers statewide. Volunteers: THANK YOU 🎉
Volunteers, check out our events calendar this week so we can celebrate you 🥳
Volunteers, check out our events calendar this week so we can celebrate you 🥳
Time to celebrate you with 2025 volunteer appreciation!
We're back for another week-long celebration of all of WTA's volunteers!
www.wta.org
November 3, 2025 at 3:33 PM
It’s Volunteer Appreciation Week! Across the state, we’re celebrating our volunteers and the remarkable difference they make for trails and hikers statewide. Volunteers: THANK YOU 🎉
Volunteers, check out our events calendar this week so we can celebrate you 🥳
Volunteers, check out our events calendar this week so we can celebrate you 🥳
Looking to get spooked this #Halloween? Whatever your phobia is, we've got a Washington hike for you to face your fears — if you dare 🎃
13 hikes to get your fright on 👻
13 hikes to get your fright on 👻
Face Your Fears: 13 Fun Washington Hikes for 13 Phobias
Looking to get spooked this season? Whether it's claustrophobia, arachnophobia, acrophobia or another terror, we've got a Washington hike for you to face your fears head on — if you dare.
www.wta.org
October 31, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Looking to get spooked this #Halloween? Whatever your phobia is, we've got a Washington hike for you to face your fears — if you dare 🎃
13 hikes to get your fright on 👻
13 hikes to get your fright on 👻
Nightly closures of the Longmire to Paradise Road begin, the Knothead Valley Trailhead has reopened and more on this week's Hiker Headlines.
Hiker Headlines: Mount Pilchuck road, nightly Longmire gate winter closures, Little Spokane's fresh new trailhead
It’s Oct. 30. Winter continues in the mountains: The road to Mount Pilchuck and Westside Road at Mount Rainier is closed and the nightly Longmire gate closures will begin on Oct. 31. The Knothead Loop...
www.wta.org
October 30, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Nightly closures of the Longmire to Paradise Road begin, the Knothead Valley Trailhead has reopened and more on this week's Hiker Headlines.
Since 2020, the Great American Outdoors Act has helped to fund projects to address deferred trail maintenance on federal #PublicLands. But the future of this funding is in jeopardy.
Learn from @seattletimes.com & WTA staff & partners how this bill has supported your favorite areas.
Learn from @seattletimes.com & WTA staff & partners how this bill has supported your favorite areas.
This bill made WA hikes more clean and safe. Now it's stalled in Congress
A look back at five years of National Forest and National Park projects funded by the Great American Outdoors Act.
www.seattletimes.com
October 30, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Since 2020, the Great American Outdoors Act has helped to fund projects to address deferred trail maintenance on federal #PublicLands. But the future of this funding is in jeopardy.
Learn from @seattletimes.com & WTA staff & partners how this bill has supported your favorite areas.
Learn from @seattletimes.com & WTA staff & partners how this bill has supported your favorite areas.
The cost of the annual #DiscoverPass has increased from $30 to $45 to help provide revenue to keep state lands maintained and operational.
The pass provides parking access for unlimited entry to all state managed lands in Washington. Learn which pass or permit you need for your next adventure 👇🏼
The pass provides parking access for unlimited entry to all state managed lands in Washington. Learn which pass or permit you need for your next adventure 👇🏼
Passes and Permits for Hiking
www.wta.org
October 29, 2025 at 4:14 PM
The cost of the annual #DiscoverPass has increased from $30 to $45 to help provide revenue to keep state lands maintained and operational.
The pass provides parking access for unlimited entry to all state managed lands in Washington. Learn which pass or permit you need for your next adventure 👇🏼
The pass provides parking access for unlimited entry to all state managed lands in Washington. Learn which pass or permit you need for your next adventure 👇🏼
WTA volunteers and members made our work possible all year. That’s why we’re hosting a series of events this fall to show our appreciation.
Join a virtual event on Nov 3 to get involved, enter a raffle giveaway and more: www.wta.org/volunteer/schedule/workparty/a2mPB0000033Ppm
Join a virtual event on Nov 3 to get involved, enter a raffle giveaway and more: www.wta.org/volunteer/schedule/workparty/a2mPB0000033Ppm
October 28, 2025 at 3:01 PM
WTA volunteers and members made our work possible all year. That’s why we’re hosting a series of events this fall to show our appreciation.
Join a virtual event on Nov 3 to get involved, enter a raffle giveaway and more: www.wta.org/volunteer/schedule/workparty/a2mPB0000033Ppm
Join a virtual event on Nov 3 to get involved, enter a raffle giveaway and more: www.wta.org/volunteer/schedule/workparty/a2mPB0000033Ppm
In 2024, one WTA staffer made it a goal to file 100 trip reports in a year. And over time, she discovered how other hikers got useful information from her outings.
One thing she didn't expect? How trip reports changed her perspective on hiking and her environment 🌲
One thing she didn't expect? How trip reports changed her perspective on hiking and her environment 🌲
Trip reports for the soul: How writing trip reports shifted my entire perspective
I made a goal to write 100 trip reports in a year. I didn’t expect it to change the way I thought about hiking. | By Tiffany Chou
www.wta.org
October 27, 2025 at 3:45 PM
In 2024, one WTA staffer made it a goal to file 100 trip reports in a year. And over time, she discovered how other hikers got useful information from her outings.
One thing she didn't expect? How trip reports changed her perspective on hiking and her environment 🌲
One thing she didn't expect? How trip reports changed her perspective on hiking and her environment 🌲
Last April, the 103-year-old Fairfax Bridge closed permanently. The closure cuts off access to the northwest side of #MountRainierNationalPark and nearby U.S. Forest service lands, including some of the region's most iconic hikes.
Learn what's next for the future of this area.
Learn what's next for the future of this area.
What’s the future for the bridge to the Northwest side of Mount Rainier?
In April, the 103-year-old Fairfax Bridge over the Carbon River closed permanently to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic, effectively cutting off access to the northwest side of Mount Rainier National...
www.wta.org
October 27, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Last April, the 103-year-old Fairfax Bridge closed permanently. The closure cuts off access to the northwest side of #MountRainierNationalPark and nearby U.S. Forest service lands, including some of the region's most iconic hikes.
Learn what's next for the future of this area.
Learn what's next for the future of this area.
Chinook Pass and Cayuse Pass close for the winter on Friday, but the White River Bridge on SR 410 has opened ahead of schedule!
Learn all about road status, snow and more on this week's edition of #Hiker Headlines.
Learn all about road status, snow and more on this week's edition of #Hiker Headlines.
Hiker Headlines: White River Bridge reopens early; Chinook, Cayuse passes closing for winter
Chinook Pass and Cayuse Pass are closing for the winter on Friday. North Shore Road along Lake Quinault has also closed and I-90 near Cle Elum is closed due to overpass damage. But here’s some good ne...
www.wta.org
October 23, 2025 at 9:52 PM
Chinook Pass and Cayuse Pass close for the winter on Friday, but the White River Bridge on SR 410 has opened ahead of schedule!
Learn all about road status, snow and more on this week's edition of #Hiker Headlines.
Learn all about road status, snow and more on this week's edition of #Hiker Headlines.
Join WTA for a free webinar to learn about the Outdoor Leadership Training Program: www.tfaforms.com/5199803
Th program empowers educators with skills lead outdoor trips for their communities. The program covers workshops around hiking, camping, snowshoeing and backpacking.
Th program empowers educators with skills lead outdoor trips for their communities. The program covers workshops around hiking, camping, snowshoeing and backpacking.
October 23, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Join WTA for a free webinar to learn about the Outdoor Leadership Training Program: www.tfaforms.com/5199803
Th program empowers educators with skills lead outdoor trips for their communities. The program covers workshops around hiking, camping, snowshoeing and backpacking.
Th program empowers educators with skills lead outdoor trips for their communities. The program covers workshops around hiking, camping, snowshoeing and backpacking.
#Hunting is permitted in fall and winter, both on state managed and federal managed public lands.
And while we encourage trail users to visit state, county and city managed lands during the federal government shutdown, it's important to be safe during hiking season wherever you recreate 👇🏼
And while we encourage trail users to visit state, county and city managed lands during the federal government shutdown, it's important to be safe during hiking season wherever you recreate 👇🏼
Staying Safe During Hunting Season
Tips for staying safe around hunters in the backcountry.
www.wta.org
October 22, 2025 at 4:24 PM
#Hunting is permitted in fall and winter, both on state managed and federal managed public lands.
And while we encourage trail users to visit state, county and city managed lands during the federal government shutdown, it's important to be safe during hiking season wherever you recreate 👇🏼
And while we encourage trail users to visit state, county and city managed lands during the federal government shutdown, it's important to be safe during hiking season wherever you recreate 👇🏼
The Trump administration intends to fire 272 staff who work for the National Park Service, as part of plans to lay off 2,050 workers at the U.S. Department of the Interior.
These firings must be prevented for the sake of the future of public lands and trails.
These firings must be prevented for the sake of the future of public lands and trails.
New plan to fire more national parks staff and rangers undercuts already short-staffed parks
The Trump administration detailed their plans to fire at least 2,050 staff who work for the Department of the Interior, including eliminating at least 272 additional positions at the National Park Ser...
www.wta.org
October 21, 2025 at 11:33 PM
The Trump administration intends to fire 272 staff who work for the National Park Service, as part of plans to lay off 2,050 workers at the U.S. Department of the Interior.
These firings must be prevented for the sake of the future of public lands and trails.
These firings must be prevented for the sake of the future of public lands and trails.
During the #shutdown, the status of trails might not be what you expect. But when a day on trail doesn't go how you'd planned, taking a time to find gentle perspective can help you calm your irritation and see the bigger picture.
Navigating trail disappointments with mindfulness
When a day on trail doesn't go how you'd planned, taking a time to find gentle perspective can help you calm your irritation and see the bigger picture. By Beth Glosten.
www.wta.org
October 21, 2025 at 3:27 PM
During the #shutdown, the status of trails might not be what you expect. But when a day on trail doesn't go how you'd planned, taking a time to find gentle perspective can help you calm your irritation and see the bigger picture.
Golden guardians — a mother mountain goat and her two kids — stand on a rocky outcrop in the North Cascades.
This image is the Grand Prize Winner of our 2024 Northwest Exposure Photo Contest, as captured by Devon Pradhuman 🐐
📸 Photo by Devon Pradhuman
This image is the Grand Prize Winner of our 2024 Northwest Exposure Photo Contest, as captured by Devon Pradhuman 🐐
📸 Photo by Devon Pradhuman
October 20, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Golden guardians — a mother mountain goat and her two kids — stand on a rocky outcrop in the North Cascades.
This image is the Grand Prize Winner of our 2024 Northwest Exposure Photo Contest, as captured by Devon Pradhuman 🐐
📸 Photo by Devon Pradhuman
This image is the Grand Prize Winner of our 2024 Northwest Exposure Photo Contest, as captured by Devon Pradhuman 🐐
📸 Photo by Devon Pradhuman
For the past 2 years, the members of Girl Scout Trailblazer troop 4389 have come to WTA’s Seattle gear library to help clean and condition shared gear.
As a group that borrows gear from the library, it's just one of the ways they give back to WTA's Outdoor Leadership Training Program.
As a group that borrows gear from the library, it's just one of the ways they give back to WTA's Outdoor Leadership Training Program.
Many hands make light work — how one Trailblazer troop gives back by cleaning tents and more
The members of Girl Scout Trailblazer troop 4389 regularly help out at WTA’s Seattle gear library to ensure that the gear is clean, in good working condition and ready to lend out to other youth progr...
www.wta.org
October 20, 2025 at 3:37 PM
For the past 2 years, the members of Girl Scout Trailblazer troop 4389 have come to WTA’s Seattle gear library to help clean and condition shared gear.
As a group that borrows gear from the library, it's just one of the ways they give back to WTA's Outdoor Leadership Training Program.
As a group that borrows gear from the library, it's just one of the ways they give back to WTA's Outdoor Leadership Training Program.
#Volunteering is all about people coming together to build something greater than what any one person could do alone. And sometimes, quite literally, it’s about putting our heads together.
Here's how a culture of collaboration results in empowered people and better trails ⚒️
Here's how a culture of collaboration results in empowered people and better trails ⚒️
Putting our heads together: Trail work as a team effort
If you’ve ever joined a WTA work party, you know the work is about more than digging tread or clearing brush. By Brandon Tigner
www.wta.org
October 17, 2025 at 3:09 PM
#Volunteering is all about people coming together to build something greater than what any one person could do alone. And sometimes, quite literally, it’s about putting our heads together.
Here's how a culture of collaboration results in empowered people and better trails ⚒️
Here's how a culture of collaboration results in empowered people and better trails ⚒️
Join WTA for a webinar on Oct. 29 to learn the latest status of national public lands, read about the statewide road closures, the Big Four Ice Caves collapse and more on this week's edition of Hiker Headlines 🛑
Hiker Headlines: Road to Artist Point closed for winter; more Rainier roads, state parks to close; WTA public lands webinar
Join WTA’s advocacy team for a webinar on the latest on our national public lands and how we can continue to champion for our trails and public lands at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 29! It’s winter in the mounta...
www.wta.org
October 16, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Join WTA for a webinar on Oct. 29 to learn the latest status of national public lands, read about the statewide road closures, the Big Four Ice Caves collapse and more on this week's edition of Hiker Headlines 🛑
Consider visiting trails managed by state, county or city agencies to get your fall fix this #autumn. Colors are popping everywhere, and you don't need to travel into the snow or onto federal public lands to find them.
📸 Photos by trip reporter ZhuckYu
📸 Photos by trip reporter ZhuckYu
October 16, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Consider visiting trails managed by state, county or city agencies to get your fall fix this #autumn. Colors are popping everywhere, and you don't need to travel into the snow or onto federal public lands to find them.
📸 Photos by trip reporter ZhuckYu
📸 Photos by trip reporter ZhuckYu
Last summer, one WTA staffer spent Washington Trails Day doing trailhead outreach at the Lena Lake trailhead. Learn the stories of the hikers she met and why #PublicLands matter to them 🌲
What I learned from a day of talking to people at a trailhead
For one day this summer, I got to spend most of a day seeing what a trailhead sees. I had never spent hours at a trailhead before, and the experience surprised me. It showed me the variety of people w...
www.wta.org
October 15, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Last summer, one WTA staffer spent Washington Trails Day doing trailhead outreach at the Lena Lake trailhead. Learn the stories of the hikers she met and why #PublicLands matter to them 🌲
This Indigenous Peoples' Day, we're hoping you'll join us in respectfully acknowledging the lands we are visiting are the homelands of Indigenous Tribes of the Pacific Northwest. Tribes continue to rely on and share in the management of these lands today.
October 13, 2025 at 5:06 PM
This Indigenous Peoples' Day, we're hoping you'll join us in respectfully acknowledging the lands we are visiting are the homelands of Indigenous Tribes of the Pacific Northwest. Tribes continue to rely on and share in the management of these lands today.