Protecting the Places You Love to Hike

Advocate for Hiking Access + Improve Trails

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Advocate

Volunteer

Explore

We envision a world where everyone feels welcome in the American hiking community and has permanent access to meaningful hiking, including urban, frontcountry, and backcountry opportunities.

Advocate

American Hiking works with Congress, federal agencies, and partners on policy issues and legislation to ensure funding for trails, preservation of public lands, and protection of the hiking experience.

Speak Up for Trails
American Hiking NextGen Trail Leaders stand in front of the US Capitol.
American Hiking NextGen Trail Leaders on Capitol Hill.
  Clint McKoy

Advocacy News and Issues

FY23 Trail Funding Public Witness Testimony of American Hiking Society, on behalf of Trails Community (Senate)
Trails Community Letter of Support for National Scenic Trails Parity Act S.2964
Statement in Support of America’s Outdoor Recreation Act of 2022 (S. 3266) Sections
Leave the Trails Community Better Then You Found It By Supporting Equitable Access to Trails
Hike the Hill® — We Go Further as a Community
AHS Leads Trail Community Efforts for Increased Federal Funding for Trails!
Will Myers

Racism in the Outdoors Resources

American Hiking Society believes that the outdoors should be a place of healing and enjoyment for all. Our mission, 'empowering ALL to enjoy, share, and preserve the hiking experience' will never be fulfilled until systemic racism is erased and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) are safe and welcome outside.
We are educating ourselves and sharing some of the resources that we have found informative and that might help us all become more aware and prepared to be an effective ally in the outdoors.
Learn More
Trevor Brown
American Hiking Society volunteer with hard hat and gloves laughs.
Volunteer Vacation crew in Coconino Natl. Forest.
Ryan Nelson

Volunteer

Trails don't maintain themselves. Individuals of any age and experience level can become trail stewards. Give back to the trails you love, meet new people, and enjoy the experience!

Give Back

2022 Volunteer Vacation Registration is Open

Work hard, get dirty, dig deep...and feel immensely rewarded.

Find a Trip
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Alternative Breaks

Make Friends. Make Memories. Make a Difference.

 Volunteer trail stewardship projects in America’s parks and forests designed specifically for college student groups and young professionals. Part volunteer work project, part kick-back outdoor vacation.

Find a Trip
Watch Video
Scholarship

Alternative Breaks

Make Friends. Make Memories. Make a Difference.

 Volunteer trail stewardship projects in America’s parks and forests designed specifically for college student groups and young professionals. Part volunteer work project, part kick-back outdoor vacation.

Find a Trip
Watch Video
Scholarship

With the support of our donors, sponsors, and partners, American Hiking has improved trail access for millions of Americans.

We've Mobilized
Trail Volunteers
We've Facilitated
Miles of Trail Maintenance & Construction
Volunteers Have Contributed
$ Million
in Volunteer Labor

Every day, numerous threats encroach upon the more than 200,000 miles of trails crisscrossing America. Join American Hiking Society and help protect your favorite trails today and for future generations.

Give Today
Volunteer

Every day, numerous threats encroach upon the more than 200,000 miles of trails crisscrossing America. Join American Hiking Society and help protect your favorite trails today and for future generations.

Give Today
Volunteer
Mick Haupt

Explore

Feel confident when you set out on your next trail adventure. Check out our free hiking resources like tips for hiking with families, gear checklists, finding the best trail for you, and more.

Browse Resources
Two hikers take a break on top of a boulder field.
Alternative Break participants take a lunch break.

Latest Stories and Updates

Member of the Duluth Crew scrapes the surface of the trail with a trail tool

Duluth Crew Helps Improve the Ice Age Trail

Duluth Crew Helps Improve the Ice Age Trail Laughter, shared stories, and the sporadic clang of trail tools wafted along the Ice Age National Scenic…

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2022 National Trails Day® Community Grant Impacts

2022 National Trails Day® Community Grant Impacts This year, American Hiking Society, with support from the U.S. Forest Service, launched the first-of-its-kind National Trails Day®…

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FY23 Trail Funding Public Witness Testimony of American Hiking Society, on behalf of Trails Community (Senate)

FY23 Senate Testimony of: Kathryn Van Waes, PhD., Executive Director, American Hiking Society and with the full support of American Trails, American Motorcyclist Association, Back Country Horsemen of America, Equine Land Conservation Resource, International Mountain Bicycling Association, National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

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Two people pose for a photo in front of two tents. Photo credit We're Out Here OC

National Trails Day® Community Grant Recipients

Four events will receive $4,000 to organize events for underrepresented communities. Silver Spring, MD –  American Hiking, with financial support from the U.S. Forest Service,…

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Read More on the AHS Blog

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