Over 600 miles of trails are the only means of access into a million acres of Olympic Wilderness, the heart of Olympic National Park and the reason Olympic Forest Preserve was founded in 1897. Maintaining these trails through temperate rain forest - growing some of the largest trees in the world and bearing the brunt of Pacific winter storms - is an ongoing challenge.
As Park budgets are perennially tight, volunteers increasingly supplement the efforts of Park trail crews. Trail volunteers are the largest and fastest growing segment of ONP's volunteer program. Olympic NP's Centennial Strategy calls for increasing the volunteer effort by 10% each year through 2016, an overall doubling of this effort.
A variety of local volunteer groups contribute to ONP trail maintenance. The easiest way for new volunteers to join in is through Washington Trails Association. Dozens of work parties gather each year, from day trips up to week-long wilderness journeys. Tasks vary from clearing windfall trees and rootballs, rebuilding trail across slides or around washouts, building footbridges, retaining walls and cribs, to cutting limbs and brush. Some trips have pack support through Backcountry Horsemen of Washington or Park packers.
Simply sign up for a WTA Olympic work party... and bring your rain gear, this is the Olympics!
WTA work party clearing the Six Ridge Trail
WTA volunteers completing their 120-foot Barnes Creek footbridge
WTA crosscut sawyers on the Gray Wolf Trail
Volunteer clearing small log, Gray Wolf Trail near Camp Ellis
Volunteer relaxing after clearing Cedar Lake Trail
Champion Third Beach Cleanup Crew: Tom, Dionne, Malia, Daryn
Lunch break in the Happy Lake meadows
Neither rain nor sleet or snow nor heat of day nor dark of night shall stay Backcountry Horsewomen from the swift completion of their appointed trails
