Every spring, Trailkeepers of Oregon Trail Ambassadors head out onto some of Oregon’s most well-loved trails to welcome visitors and share important information about the trail, hiking safety, Leave No Trace, local flora and fauna, and more. We’ve added more locations to our repertoire for this season and we need your help to meet the growing demand on our trails!

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Happy Holidays Trailkeepers,

The TKO Legacy Builders end-of-year campaign is coming to a close on December 31st. We are so proud that this campaign is fueled by a grassroots donor base that builds a kick start of support for a new year. Our approach continues to be that everyone in their own way is a Trailkeeper – giving time, giving passion, or giving dollars. Each of these contributions amount to more protection and enhancement of Oregon’s hiking trails.

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From Latourell Falls to Mosier Plateau, TKO volunteers put in 6,171 hours (257 days!) in the Columbia River Gorge throughout 2023 ensuring your favorite trails remain ready to welcome you on your adventures. Read on for fun insight on the wide variety of trails and projects that you, our community, helped us to pursue!

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The Mount Hood National Forest boasts roughly 1,000 miles of trails weaving through popular frontcountry and remote Wilderness, with many areas seeing thousands of visitors in just a few days. To keep these trails well-kept, TKO volunteers dedicated 2,404 hours (over 100 days) to stewardship on Mount Hood – including 3 backcountry service trips!

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Urban trails are a cornerstone to nature access for urban and suburban residents, offering countless physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health benefits. TKO has been busy throughout the Portland Metro Area and beyond in 2023 ensuring that these trails can continue to safely connect communities with the outdoors!

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Throughout 2023 TKO has been lucky to participate in some outstanding trail projects in the Willamette and Umpqua River Valleys. These projects, critical to maintaining and reopening trails,  allowed volunteers to grow their trail construction skills in some of Oregon’s most beautiful natural areas!

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Have you caught the “saw bug” yet? Join TKO on a logout and you just might! This draw to saw work, the itch to feel the saw interact with wood as you cut, captivates many a trail crew member after just one day pulling saw. Saw work is a critical aspect of trail stewardship, and it’s this feeling that TKO has worked to inspire in emerging sawyers across Oregon. 

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Smith Rock State Park is an outdoor recreation haven for hikers, climbers, mountain bikers, and beyond. Due to high visitation and the unique, fragile nature of the ecosystem, it is critical that the 12 trails throughout the park are well maintained. We at TKO feel very lucky to have served this special place throughout 2023, and we’re gearing up for another year!

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Oregon’s South Coast is renowned for breathtaking views and bountiful recreation opportunities. However, challenges with staffing and funding for public agencies means some of these places have quietly slipped into disrepair. But not to fear! TKO volunteers are here to change the trajectory of these special places.

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When you picture the Oregon coast, visions of the Pacific Ocean meeting rocky shores likely come to mind. What you may not see are the folks working behind the scenes to ensure places like this remain accessible, enjoyable, and even educational! Along with our partners, Trailkeepers of Oregon has been working throughout 2023 to do just that.

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