Sharing Knowledge

The Foothills Rails-to-Trails Coalition, partnering with Pierce County Parks, addresses the challenges of trail development by pooling resources and expertise to facilitate and expedite trail planning, funding, and implementation. Case studies spotlight successful joint ventures, highlighting insights and lessons learned for future trail development projects.

The Silver Star Vision Plan is a case study in re-imagining an outdated trail system within eyesight of the Portland-Vancouver Metropolitan Area. Vision plans provide the conceptual idea of a place to which future planning efforts should align. Does my project idea need a vision plan? How does this type of planning relate to modernizing a trail system?  Learn how this process could guide your next project.

King County Parks initiated community conversations on Safety, Belonging, and Inclusion as part of updating its Parks, Trails, and Open Space Plan. Conversations focused on why people feel unsafe in the outdoors and what could be done to make them feel safer, resulting in a number of ongoing programs. Hear about their successful three main outreach programs.

A discussion on the ways conservation and service corps are supporting equitable and inclusive opportunities for young people to develop skills and have a positive impact on natural resources and climate related challenges.

Issaquah’s Rainier Trail has been invigorated with the addition of Jakob Two Trees, an iconic troll created by Danish environmental artist, Thomas Dambo. Learn how such installations complement a city’s art program, educate visitors, and draw them to support economic development. 

Learn from nonprofit and land management agencies about ambassador programs across the state that are teaching environmental stewardship behaviors, outdoor ethics, and practical skills of responsible recreation. Be ready to learn the behind-the-scenes details of programs from people who have experience with them on the ground, as well as discussing the future needs of recreational education in Washington.

The Cascade Volcanoes Chapter of the Great Old Broads for Wilderness completed its seventh season partnering with the United States Forest Service to monitor solitude on trails in Washington and Oregon Wilderness areas. This data will assist the Mt. Adams Ranger District in evaluating the solitude quality.

Use a mobile application incorporating relevant Architectural Barriers Act and United States Forest Service accessibility standards and guidelines for all types of outdoor constructed features to assess outdoor recreation infrastructure: picnic tables, tent pads, outdoor rinsing showers, grills, fire rings, and more.

Washington Trails Association’s Emerging Leaders Program (ELP), in conjunction with WA State Parks, invests in paid development opportunities for future leaders in the outdoor industry, specifically for communities who experience inequitable access to the outdoors, including Black, Indigenous, and people of color individuals. ELP offers career paths for early professionals of color with sixty-five percent of alumni going on to work at WTA or partner organizations.

The Northup Connector, while a short segment of trail, represents the culmination of years of planning to make an important connection between two major trail routes, completing a key link in a resilient trail system. It wouldn’t have been possible without creative partnerships and funding. Led by Eastrail Partners on behalf of King County, with funding from Meta and REI, this unique project brought funding from the private sector directly to the trail.

Lack of sufficient funding, alongside wildfire damage have left sections of the Pasayten Wilderness nearly impossible to navigate.  Backcountry Horsemen of Washington, Washington Trails Association, Pacific Northwest Trail Association and the United States Forest Service came together to get some much needed and meaningful work done. There are plenty more opportunities to use these same successful models going forward.

Join staff from the United States Forest Service (USFS), Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, and TREAD to walk through all the phases of visioning, planning, funding, and constructing the trail network for hikers and mountain bikers at No 2 Canyon, less than 5 miles from downtown Wenatchee. This effort is a prime example of the USFS definition of a modern, sustainable trail system.  

Trails connect people to each other, to nature and history, and even to concepts like responsible stewardship in a changing world. Each trail is packed with potential for telling stories that inspire people to take action in support of your mission. In this workshop, we talk about how interpretation can add value to your site, and we break down the process of interpretive planning and design and offer a loose design concept for trail signage or other media.

WA Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is preparing to publish its first strategic plan for statewide recreation and access management. Learn how the process was co-developed with Tribes and sought input from traditionally underserved communities, sister agencies, statewide partners, and the public. Hear about the successes and challenges of strategic planning given the breadth of DNR’s management obligations, diversity of lands, variety of recreation opportunities, and tribal commitments. DNR staff share high-level themes of the draft plan and how the agency hopes to implement various initiatives moving forward.

Tennant Trailhead Park is WA State’s first community trail network with integrated native art and Lushootseed language on the park’s kiosk and trail signs. The multi-use trail network opened in April 2024 as a collaboration between the Snoqualmie Tribe, Si View Parks District, the City of North Bend, and the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance. The network of hiking and bike trails were developed on infill lots in North Bend with a goal to connect the trail user to the lands, the Tribe, and native language to encourage mindful recreation and trail stewardship.

Imagine a linear park from Puget Sound to the Pacific Ocean (PS2P), filling in the gaps of the Rails to Trails system through partnerships. The partnership of two Tribes, three counties, six cities, one port district and the Washington Department of Transportation successfully received a RAISE grant. The $16.31 million RAISE grant was obtained to study and design over 34 active transportation components, addressing approximately 100 miles of gaps, community connections, and multi-use trails. Learn how this project focuses on integrating the Sound to Olympics and Olympic Discovery trails to become the PS2P. 

Join us for an enlightening discussion on the world of adaptive mountain biking (aMTB), trail design and program implementation. Our panelists of trail builders, adaptive athletes, and educators, reflect on the last three years of Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance’s dive into making an inclusive space for riders with disabilities. Discover the collaborative efforts driving the expansion of aMTB opportunities and gain valuable perspectives on the importance of universal access in outdoor recreation. This panel discussion promises to inspire, educate, and ignite a shared vision for the future of adaptive trails.

Up your output! Integration of pack stock support can enhance your trail maintenance project.  Tools, supplies, timber, gear and provisions for camp — these amazing creatures can do it all. The stock handlers are pretty awesome too.

The United States Forest Service manages more than 160,000 miles of trails across the country. In 2023, Forest Service staff analyzed its trails workforce to better understand how the agency divides the immense task of stewarding the largest trail system in the country. The results of that nationwide survey provide new insights into the work of Forest Service staff, contractors, partner organizations and volunteers. This presentation shares some results of the workforce analysis and discusses what the agency’s findings mean for partners and addresses the recent budget cut.

Attend the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance Trail School to take a deep dive into multi-use trail design, construction, and maintenance best practices. Evergreen’s Trail School highlights techniques to make multi-use trails work for all users. Whether you’re a mountain biker, hiker, equestrian, or someone who values trails and outdoor spaces, you’ll gain valuable insights into thoughtful, balanced, and proven trail design, construction, and maintenance practices and how to enhance trail accessibility, sustainability, and enjoyment for the entire community.

Up your output! Integration of pack stock support can really enhance your trail maintenance project.  Tools, supplies, timber, gear and provisions for camp — these amazing creatures can do it all. The stock handlers are pretty awesome too.

Conservation Biology Institute (CBI) created a web-based application to support collaborative, data-driven decision-making to evaluate the sustainability of existing and proposed trails. CBI’s online platform synthesizes diverse types of data into quantitative metrics covering physical, environmental, social, and economic dimensions relevant to trail planning and management at local and regional scales.  Core features and functionality include a user account system, trail information management tools, trail query and summary functionality, and a sustainability assessment. This online application’s framework can be customized for different priorities and is targeted for expansion for Forest Service Region 6 and partners on Oregon and Washington National Forest lands.

The Northern State Hospital campus grounds in Sedro-Woolley were originally designed by the Olmsted Brothers in the early 1900’s. Until closing in 1973, the mental institution used the concept of a working farm, with patients cultivating the gardens and caring for the stock and poultry. Forty years after closing, a new partnership formed with the mission of restoring trails, rebuilding bridges, and reconnecting the campus routes. This mission includes a “parkscription” component to help restore some of the mental health aspects that trails and nature provide.

Washington’s tidelands and beaches are not all in public ownership. Public access is available at approximately 30 percent of the state’s shorelines. Through advocacy, education, and stewardship, Washington Water Trails Association protects and promotes public access to WA waterways, shorelines, and marine trails for human-powered watercraft. Find out about the various water trails that WWTA founded and manages throughout the state and the importance of access to the water, and access to the land from the water.

The iconic Saddle Rock trail system will be the future home of an accessible trail system, the first of its kind in the Wenatchee Valley. This presentation reviews the process of developing the accessible trail, from initial idea to final design, including extensive community outreach efforts to meet the needs and wants of trail users. We also discuss design considerations including trail sustainability, barriers and limitations to accessibility, mitigation of conflicts between user groups, and the decision-making process for establishing the final design of the trail and surrounding amenities.

The United States Forest Service (USFS) released updated national directives for management of e-bikes in March 2022. USFS shares an overview of the e-bike directives and will be providing an update on the status of e-bike planning in the Pacific Northwest Region.