Help us help trails

Last September, the Forest Service announced it would cut its non-fire seasonal workforce in 2025. The decision is in response to an agency-wide budget deficit. This means the Methow Valley Ranger District(MVRD) cannot hire its seasonal trail crew that maintains the 1,100-mile trail network the district manages. In years past, the MVRD trail crew worked tirelessly through the summer months to clear Wilderness and front country trails from logs, beating back overgrown brush and addressing the backlog of critical trail infrastructure like bridges or boardwalks. Without a seasonal crew, these needs may go unmet in 2025. It’s uncertain if this decision will be reversed in 2025.

The Trails Collaborative is preparing to step up and steward this network by hiring our own seasonal crew. The MVTC crew will upkeep trails of all use types across the Methow Valley and into the North Cascades. We need your support to make this happen. Forest Service budget cuts are adding uncertainty to MVTC’s planned projects, and community support guarantees the organization can put boots on the ground to keep trails on the map.

We hope you will make a donation to Trails Collaborative or consider a recurring donation.

Your support will help us put trail professionals to work, support the recreation economy, and provide safe, sustainable access to trails in the Methow.

 Wilderness Work

Many of us have grown accustomed to using motorized equipment, from cars to electric toothbrushes; however, in federally designated Wilderness, using motorized equipment is prohibited. The video below illustrates some of the slow-moving processes trail crews must employ while adhering to this management practice in the Wilderness. While it might take more time to cut a tree with a cross-cut saw and axe than a chainsaw, it is a traditional skill that has been used for centuries. Trail work in the Wilderness is one of the last modern practical applications of these skills.

Keep up to date on our current projects.

 Our Partners

Members and interested parties comprise the Methow Valley Trails Collaborative.  Together they collaborate to guide the organization, coordinate fund development, facilitate trail work parties and advocate for valley-wide trail projects, initiatives and funding.

Agency Partners

• Pearrygin Lake State Park

• USFS Methow Valley Ranger District

• WDFW Methow Wildlife Area

Learn More