The ongoing development of our Trail Steward program has put the Trail Conference in a position to assist and educate more trail users than ever before. Stationed at popular trails across the region, Trail Conference Stewards provide helpful outreach and information about park regulations, hiker safety, preparedness, Leave No Trace principles, and other best practices. In
This is the next generation of environmental stewards. When one mentions service to our nation and our communities, it is easy to immediately call to mind our military and first responders, as well, it should. However, there are people whose service goes unnoticed. AmeriCorps members around this country are serving, and this service, while different,
From his 2017 SOBO A.T. thru-hike to joining the Bear Mountain Trail Crew this season, Mike AKA Pineapple shares his experience of what the Trail means to him and the importance of giving back. Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Mike. He was told that life’s happiness depended on if he did well in
Building, maintaining, and protecting a 358-mile long-distance trail takes a lot of passion, dedication, and leadership. The Long Path is New York’s premier long-distance hiking trail, spanning 358 miles from 175th Street in Manhattan to John Boyd Thacher State Park, north of Albany. A hiking trail running from one of the largest cities in the world through dense
From her 2016 SOBO A.T. thru-hike to joining the Bear Mountain Trail Crew this season, Yuliya AKA Kremlin shares her experience of what the Trail means to her and the importance of giving back. One of the major reasons I went to hike the Appalachian Trail in 2016 was to figure out what it is I wanted to do career-wise. Since high school,
On Oct. 7, 1923, Trail Conference volunteers officially opened the first section of the Appalachian Trail, which they built and blazed through Bear Mountain and Harriman state parks in New York. This fall, the Trail Conference finished construction on the historic Bear Mountain Trails Project—the most ambitious rehabilitation of the A.T. ever conducted, which has been primarily built by
Volunteers. Champions. Supporters. You. It all starts with your support. On Oct. 7, 1923, Trail Conference volunteers officially opened the first section of the Appalachian Trail, which they built and blazed through Bear Mountain and Harriman state parks in New York. This fall, the Trail Conference will finish construction on the historic Bear Mountain Trails Project—the most ambitious rehabilitation of the A.T.
On Sept. 27, members of the Bear Mountain Trail Crew placed the final stone step on the Appalachian Trail at Bear Mountain, completing a reconstruction project that has been 14 years in the works. Our friend Karen Lutz, who retired as the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Director, set the last step during an event celebrating this achievement and her remarkable
The completion of a new multi-use loop in Sterling Forest was celebrated with a grand opening ride/run/hike on Sunday, Sept. 30. Seventeen years after the first Trails Plan for Sterling Forest State Park was drafted, the park is about to celebrate the opening of one of the finest multi-use trails in the region, built by the Trail Conference. The
From his 2017 NOBO A.T. thru-hike to joining the Taconic Trail Crew this season, Matt AKA Logjam shares his experience of what the Trail means to him and the importance of giving back. I enjoy hiking. There is a rhythm to the day, just as there is a rhythm to all things. A trail can take you many places.
Dia the Detection Dog and her handler Joshua are helping to combat invasive species one sniff at a time. The Trail Conference is the leader in regional efforts to combat invasive species. As such, we are always looking for the most effective ways to diminish the impact invasives are having on the environment. That’s why the Trail Conference is
Prohibitions Now Enforced at Four Catskill Destinations New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced the adoption of new regulations designed to improve public safety and enhance the user experience at Kaaterskill Falls and three nearby areas that have experienced a substantial increase in public use in recent years. Commissioner Seggos said,
