Since 1976, American Hiking has worked with Congress, federal agencies, and many recreation and conservation partners on policy issues and legislation to ensure funding for trails, preservation of natural areas, and protection of the hiking experience.
Advocacy News
American Hiking Comments on NPS Bicycle Use in Park Areas
Our nation’s public lands and trails provide access to millions of recreation users every year including hiking, mountain biking, equestrian use, and e-bike use. As NPS considers the proposed rule we encourage the agency to consider the impacts on all user groups.
American Hiking Society Comment Opposing Recission of the Forest Service Roadless Rule
On behalf of American Hiking Society and the 63-million-strong hiking community, we urge the USDA Forest Service to reject the repeal of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule (Roadless Rule).
Millions of Trail Users at Risk: 93 Organizations Warn Forest Service Against Upending Longstanding Trail Access Rule
A far reaching coalition of 93 trail organizations, user groups, businesses, and government agencies representing the interests of millions of non-motorized, motorized, and mixed-use trail users across 32 states are calling on the Forest Service to maintain the five decade long practice that has provided guardrails for permitted trail uses on the 165,000 miles of trails across the National Forest System.
Forest Service Hiking Trails Under Threat by Travel Management Rule and Roadless Rule Proposals
In a double whammy to hikers and trail users, the Forest Service is proposing a repeal of the 2001 Roadless Rule and drastic revisions to the 2005 Travel Management Rule.
Taken together these proposals could upend over 50 years of precedent and access that hikers have relied on across National Forests.
Registration is now open for the 30th Annual
Hike the Hill® 2027!
Virtual Issue Briefings February, 16-18, 2027
Issue Briefings Presented in Partnership with American Trails
In-Person Hike the Hill® in Washington, DC February 28- March 5, 2026
A landmark 30th year of Hike the Hill® , a joint effort between American Hiking Society and Partnership for the National Trails System, and a new Congress makes in-person attendance invaluable!
In 2027, the trails community will be celebrating 30 years of collective impact! As a new Congress convenes in 2027—welcoming 15 new Senators and 100+ new members of the House of Representatives, over one-quarter of Congress will be officials and offices we’ve never met with!
It is more critical than ever that our collective voice is heard as funding priorities, surface transportation legislation, and other critical trail and public lands legislation and federal policies are pursued. Attending in-person will allow you to educate new legislators, strengthen key relationships, and demonstrate the vital importance and value of trails.
No experience is needed! Hike the Hill is a great opportunity to meet with your elected officials for the first time in a structured effort that provides all the resources you need!
Registration Options
In- Person Hike the Hill® - $175
(Save $25 with a Hotel Room Block Reservation)
- Sunday Strategy Session
- Sunday Evening Special Hike the Hill 30th Anniversary Reception
- REI Trails Celebration (Light Refreshments Included)
- Hike the Hill® Issue Briefings (Live and On-Demand), featuring:
- New Congress Orientation
- Federal Trail Data Updates, including staffing
- FY27 and FY28 Trail Funding
- Legacy Restoration Fund
- Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Updates
- Transportation Funding for Trails (Surface Transportation Reauthorization, including the Recreational Trails Program)
- And more!
- Hike the Hill® Branded Advocacy Materials for Congressional Meetings (Talking Points, Fact Sheets, and Leave Behinds)
- Access to Congressional Staff Contact List
- Training Session and Resources on Running an Effective Congressional Meeting
- Group meetings with congressional committees and agency staff.
- (Registration does not guarantee a speaking role in group meetings. Participation may be limited due to capacity, issue focus, or any other reason.)
- Lunch on Monday at the Department of Interior
- Local Issue Briefing Resources for when you return home
- Individual Congressional Office Meetings are scheduled on your own!
Local/Virtual Hike the Hill® Participation- $30
Celebrate the 30th Anniversary and make an impact virtually! Registration includes access to the weeklong Live and On-Demand Issue Briefings February 16-18, including new congress overview, agency trail and staffing data, and other expert-led training. You'll receive branded advocacy materials, a comprehensive Congressional Staff Contact List and local issue briefing resources for in-district meetings.
Registration Includes:
-
- Hike the Hill® Issue Briefings (Live and On-Demand), featuring:
- New Congress Orientation
- Federal Trail Data Updates, including staffing
- FY27 and FY28 Trail Funding
- Legacy Restoration Fund
- Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Updates
- Transportation Funding for Trails (Surface Transportation Reauthorization, including the Recreational Trails Program)
- And more!
- Congressional Staff Contact List
- Hike the Hill® Branded Advocacy Materials for Congressional Meetings (Talking Points, Fact Sheets, and Leave Behinds)
- Hike the Hill® Issue Briefings (Live and On-Demand), featuring:
Individual registration is not shareable
Schedule of Events
February 16-18 Virtual Issue Briefings
Daily 2pm-5pm EST
February 28- March 5 In-Person Hike the Hill®
Sunday, February 28
3-5pm Welcome and Strategy Session at Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
5pm- 7pm Special Hike the Hill 30th® Anniversary Reception at Rails-to-Trails
Conservancy Event Space
Monday, March 1
9am-5pm
Department of the Interior Group Meetings (Requested AM Meeting)
Foundation for America’s Public Lands Presentation
(Immediately Following BLM Meeting)
Tuesday March 2
9am-5pm USDA Forest Service Group Meetings (Requested AM Meeting)
5:30-7:30pm REI Trails Celebration (TBC)
Wednesday, March 3
9am-5pm Group Congressional Meetings (To Be Requested)
House and Senate Interior Appropriations Committee
House Natural Resources/Senate Energy and Natural Resources
Senate Environment and Public Works/House Transportation and Infrastructure (Surface Transportation Reauthorization
Thursday, March 4
9am-5pm
Individual Congressional Meetings
Any Additional/Rescheduled Group Congressional Meetings
Friday, March 5
9am-5pm
Individual Congressional Meetings
*Registration does not guarantee a speaking role or attendance (Agency Leadership) in group meetings. Participation may be limited due to capacity, issue focus, or any other reason.
Registration is non-refundable after February 12, 2027
Host Hotel- Hilton Garden Inn US Capitol (NoMA)
Room Block Deadline is January 29, 2027
The Hilton Garden Inn- US Capitol (NoMA) will serve as the Hike the Hill® host hotel. We have secured a room block for a discounted rate of $189/night (Single) plus tax and fees. Avg. rate during this time is $300+.
Hilton Garden Inn US Capitol (NoMA) is conveniently located 1-minute from the NoMa Metro Station (Red Line) and a short walk from the REI DC (hosting the Trails Celebration). Complimentary Wi-Fi is provided in the group rate. The hotel has many dining options onsite and nearby, space to gather with fellow attendees, and a business center. A grocery store and Starbucks are also next door. Standard rooms are 336-384 sq. ft. and include a desk, microwave, refrigerator, and tv.
Hotel Address: 1225 1 St. Street NE Washington, District Of Columbia 20002
Check-In: 4pm
Checkout:12pm
Reservation Link (Recommended)
or Call the Hotel Directly at 202-408-4870 and reference “American Hiking Society”
American Hiking brings together rising stars in the outdoor community from all walks of life and across the country. Through American Hiking, NextGen Trail Leaders are the voice of young hikers and speak out to elected officials and the public on the need to protect public lands for all to enjoy and to expand and preserve trail access. Over the course of the year, NextGen Trail Leaders share their passions to advocate for public lands and trails and inspire other young hikers to get out and experience what the trails have to offer.
At this time we are not accepting applications for the Next Gen Trail Leader program,
American Hiking works on a range of issues that affect public lands, hiking, and trails. The links below include information about a variety of policies, bills, and issues that have immediate or significant impacts on trails and the hiking experience. Do you have questions or suggestions about issues that affect the hiking experience? Email us!
Protecting Public Lands
The nearly 1,000,000 square miles that comprise U.S. public lands are our most treasured natural resource. Whether you’re a hiker enjoying the 193,500 miles of trail or one of the total 145 million recreation users, these lands are of enormous personal value to you. Public lands are also an economic driver for the recreation economy, generating 508,740 jobs and an economic output of $52 billion each year
The most pressing threats to public lands protections include shrinking National Monuments and expanding energy development. Such erosions, rather than expanding access, usually deprive hikers, anglers, hunters, campers, and all other permitted users the opportunity to enjoy their desired form of recreation, and, at best, obstruct views and generate noise and air pollution.
Legislation
Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)
The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) is America’s most important program to conserve irreplaceable lands and improve outdoor recreation opportunities throughout the nation. The program has funded nearly one thousand trail projects and thousands of other projects ranging from National Parks, Forests and Wildlife Refuges to community parks and ball fields in all 50 states. Legislation is pending in Congress to permanently reauthorize and provide dedicated funding to the program.
Addressing Maintenance Needs on Public Lands
Our public lands are facing a $21.5 billion and growing maintenance backlog. When annual maintenance needs go unaddressed, long-term problems arise, impacting the public’s ability to access outdoor recreation. Closed trails, out-of-service restrooms, campgrounds in poor conditions, and impassable roads are only a few of the barriers that hikers face. Currently 193,500 miles of trails on federal lands need $1.71 billion of estimated maintenance.
Protecting Against Amendments to the Wilderness Act
Efforts to amend the Wilderness Act threaten the continued protection of our most untouched and wild lands. American Hiking Society opposes the use of mountain bicycles in designated wilderness areas and areas under consideration for wilderness designation.
Completing our National Trails System
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the National Trails System and realizing the goal to achieve a completed and connected system is just as important today as when the law was enacted. Legislation before Congress including the National Scenic Trail Parity Act and the North Country National Scenic Trail Route Adjustment Act work towards that goal.
Trail Funding
Trails are the gateway to nearly every facet of outdoor recreation, including fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing, camping, and more. A failure to maintain and manage our nation’s trails stymies economic growth and access to healthy outdoor recreation.
Every Kid Outdoors Act
The Every Kid Outdoors Act congressionally authorizes the Every Kid in a Park program, providing every fourth grader and their family free access to all federal public lands and waters. The act will introduce the next generation to outdoor recreation and foster lifelong service to and enjoyment of our most treasured natural resource. Hundreds of thousands of students have taken advantage of the program since it began
House Trails Caucus
The mission of the bipartisan House Trails Caucus is to provide a forum for interested members of Congress to work together for the creation and conservation of our natural landscape and recreation activities through the preservation of trails.
Concerns Affecting the Hiking Experience
Funding for Trails
Funds for trails come from various sources, including federal appropriations, state funds, grants, and private donations. Regardless of funding source, most trails are founded on public-private partnerships and include some form of cost-sharing or leveraging, including volunteer support.
Mountain Biking on National Scenic Trails
In recent months there has been an upsurge of organized mountain biking groups attempting to gain access to sections of National Scenic Trails where mountain bikes are currently prohibited. These trails – or in some cases, sections of these trails – were neither designed nor built for mountain bike use. Due to concerns about safety, sustainability, and the displacement of hikers on trails with heavy bike usage, AHS believes that the sections of National Scenic Trails, where mountain bikes are currently prohibited, should remain closed to bikes.
Government Programs and Policies
Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)
LWCF balances the extraction and sale of federal natural resources – offshore oil and gas – with the permanent protection of important lands and waters and access to recreation for all Americans.
America’s Great Outdoors (AGO)
AGO is an effort to promote America’s connection to the outdoors and to bolster current conservation practices nationwide. The Initiative includes a series of listening and learning sessions are being held this summer and early fall around the country for engaging recreation and conservation community partners in developing a 21st Century conservation plan.
Transportation Act & Recreational Trails Program (RTP)
RTP utilizing a “user-pay/user-benefit” model, uses just a small portion of the taxes from the sale of fuel purchased by nonhighway trail users such as off road vehicles and snowmobiles. These funds are used for all sorts of trail projects: projects that benefit not just motorized trail users but also hikers, bicyclists, and equestrians. These RTP funds are distributed to the states which subsequently awards grants for various trail projects.
Travel Management Planning – Protecting the Hiking Experience
The hiking experience on America’s public lands will be profoundly affected by a series of “Travel Management Plans” currently underway by the USDA Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The agencies recently enacted policies intended to address the problem of increasing damage from unmanaged off-road vehicle (ORV) recreation, which includes all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), dirt bikes, and 4-wheel drive vehicles.
