3,954 Miles of Trail Improved on National Trails Day®

June 15, 2018

Silver Spring, MD – On June 2, 2018 people across the country came together and surpassed the collective goal to improve 2,802 miles of trail—the distance across the US—during American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day^®. In a momentous effort, 3,954 miles of trails were improved in a single day!

For 25 years, National Trails Day^® has united the trails community on the first Saturday of June with the goal of connecting more people to trails and public lands. In 2018, American Hiking Society set a target goal to improve 2,802 miles of trail to celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of the National Trails System, and the public enthusiastically rallied to improve trails from coast to coast.

American Hiking Society invited hikers, cyclists, equestrians, paddlers, and everyone else who enjoys spending time outside to join the nationwide efforts by pledging to improve a trail on National Trails Day^®. Participants built and maintained more than 750 miles of trail and picked up trash along thousands of additional miles of trail! American Hiking Society is grateful for every individual who pitched in to leave a trail better than they found it.

Beyond trail work projects, hundreds of individuals and organizations hosted communitywide festivals and outdoor recreation opportunities on National Trails Day^®. It was a great opportunity for people to try something new, explore wild spaces, or get outside right in their neck of the woods—or city.

National Trails Day^® photos, graphics, and b-roll video are available for editorial use at: bit.ly/2018NTDpromo

American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day^® is made possible by the generous support of Corporate Sponsors – Merrell, Eddie Bauer, Columbia, REI, Popular Mechanics, Save The Redwoods League, Nature Valley, Osprey Packs, Wiivv and Federal Partners – National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Federal Highway Administration, and U.S. Forest Service.

Founded in 1976, American Hiking Society is the only national, recreation-based nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and protecting America’s hiking trails, their surrounding natural areas and the hiking experience.  To learn more about American Hiking Society and its mission and programs, visit www.AmericanHiking.org

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