Celebrate National Trails Day with American Hiking Society and Maryland State Parks

SILVER SPRING, MD – May 2015 – American Hiking Society, in conjunction with the Maryland Park Service, is hosting a hiking and biking adventure at one of Maryland’s most scenic wild places, Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary, on American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day®, June 6, 2015. As the largest annual celebration of trails in the U.S., National Trails Day draws thousands of Americans outdoors to explore, to learn, and to give back.

“All across America, people of all walks of life will be getting outdoors on National Trails Day to hike, paddle, bike and volunteer for trails,” offers Gregory Miller President of American Hiking Society. “Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary is the perfect place to celebrate trails and enjoy the great outdoors and deepen your connection to nature.”

During the Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary National Trails Day event, one and three mile guided hikes will take participants through woodlands, past marshes, and along the winding shore of the Patuxent River, a designated Maryland Scenic River. Bikers will enjoy a five mile ride through the Sanctuary, home to hummingbirds, finches, purple martins, and other songbirds.

National Geographic Adventurer of the Year Jennifer Pharr Davis and Author and Motivational Speaker Kara Richardson Whitely, both American Hiking Society Ambassadors, will join hikers on the trails and share their passion for outdoor adventure and exploration.

“My family and I are looking forward to participating in National Trails Day with the American Hiking Society because it is truly a day that does not discriminate,” says Jennifer Pharr Davis.  “Whether you want to hike, run, paddle, volunteer, or casually take in the beauty of nature, National Trails Day is there for everyone at every phase of life.”

“There is something so powerful and freeing about heading into the wilderness,” said Richardson Whitely, who wrote Gorge about her third trek up Kilimanjaro as a plus-size adventurer. “I’m honored to share the joy of hiking on National Trails Day with so many people. I hope it inspires others to take their next steps on a trail.”

The event will offer hikers of all ages and abilities the opportunity to give back through stewardship projects. Participants can take part in a milkweed planting mission to restore critical, disappearing habitat for the monarch butterfly. In another project, hikers will set out to remove invasive plants that are choking the landscape.

Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary is located at 11704 Fenno Rd., Upper Marlboro, MD 20772.

EVENT SCHEDULE

9:00 am – Registration
9:30 am – Welcoming remarks by American Hiking Society President Gregory Miller
10:00 am –  1 mile and 3 mile hikes depart
5 mile bike ride departs
10:00–10:15 am – Invasive Removal Stewardship Project begins
Milkweed Planting Stewardship Project begins
11:15 am –   1 mile and 3 mile hikes depart
5 mile bike ride departs
12:30 pm –   Event ends

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American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day® is a nationally recognized trail awareness program that occurs annually on the first Saturday of June and inspires the public to discover, learn about, and celebrate trails while participating in outdoor activities, clinics, and trail stewardship projects. National Trails Day® is a registered trademark of American Hiking Society.