If you were to ask me 10 years ago, 18-years-old and a recent high-school graduate, where I saw myself in a decade, building trails with the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference would have never even crossed my mind. You see, I hated getting dirty. I was not the “outdoorsy-type.” And I had a plan—I mean, doesn’t
Kendra Baumer joined the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference team as the new Volunteer Engagement Manager in November. She’s been a Trail Conference member and trail maintainer for over two years. In her new role as full-time staffer, Kendra’s goals are to enhance the volunteer programs to improve the experience and further cultivate a symbiotic relationship between staff and
John Gunzler, a tireless champion of the Trail Conference for 37 years, passed away on November 10. He was 82. John was a mentor and friend to many at the Trail Conference. He brought solid business and common sense to the finances and fund development when it was needed, and undoubtedly helped launch the Trail Conference
The Gunzlers created the Trail Conference’s Legacy Fund to ensure that the trails and natural areas we share are accessible for all to enjoy for generations to come. In 2011, longtime Trail Conference members and supporters John and Marianne Gunzler inaugurated the Trail Conference’s Legacy Fund with a very generous gift of $100,000. Trails are a lifelong
The Lenape Trail passes through 19 different parks in Essex and serves as a “highlight reel” of what the area has to offer in terms of hiking and outdoor recreation, from the paved jogging paths of Brookdale Park to the rugged hiking of Eagle Rock Reservation. The Trail Conference’s work on the Lenape Trail was reinvigorated in 2017, thanks to support
New signage has been developed for New Jersey state parks and forests to help improve your trail experience. We’ve all seen them before— trailhead kiosks filled with waterlogged pages of info, sun-faded trail maps, inconsistent content, or no content at all. So it’s with great pleasure that the Trail Conference can announce that, in partnership
Benjamin Moore Paint donates more than $1,000 of paint to the Trail Conference for blazing trails. The Trail Conference would like to thank Benjamin Moore for their donation of over $1,000 worth of paint. Generous supply and tool donations like this make our trail work possible. This paint will allow our trail maintainers to freshen up their trail blazes and
Trail Conference Annual Awards are determined by the Board of Directors upon recommendation by the Volunteer Committee. The following award was given in 2017. Raymond H. Torrey Award: The Conference’s most prestigious award, given for significant and lasting contributions that protect hiking trails and the land upon which they rest. Daniel Chazin Daniel is the man
As volunteer chair of the Long Path North and chair of the Trail Conference Conservation Committee, it’s quite possible that Andy Garrison knows more about and devotes more time to preserving and improving the Long Path than anyone else. “It takes a lot to manage a trail that is 430 miles long,” Andy Garrison says
Due to overuse and misuse, Peekamoose Blue Hole in the Catskills was identified as a 2017 Leave No Trace Hot Spot. In other words, the Blue Hole has now been nationally recognized as a place in danger of being loved to death. As part of the Leave No Trace Hot Spot Week at the Blue Hole in August,
The Breakneck Connector will improve safety, infrastructure, local quality of life, and one of America’s top hiking attractions. Updated: May 2019 The partners spearheading the creation of the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail are preparing for the commencement of construction on the Breakneck Connector. The project will dramatically improve visitor access to Breakneck Ridge from Metro-North and NYS Route 9D.
The new Crom Pond Trail bridge connects a previously inaccessible corner of FDR State Park with the Yorktown business area. FDR State Park is the largest park in the Town of Yorktown in New York’s Westchester County, featuring a popular swimming pool and picnic areas, as well as a lake for fishing and more secluded
