Volunteer

Methow Wildlife Area Ambassador Program

The Methow Valley Trails Collaborative is recruiting volunteer trailhead ambassadors for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Methow Wildlife Area. Ambassador shifts are each Saturday from April 5th to June 28th, 2025. We are seeking friendly, informative, people to educate recreators on responsible recreation, share updates from land managers, and represent the WDFW’s mission at the Lewis Butte and Pipestone Canyon trailheads.

Klipchuck Campground Cleanup: Monday, May 19th

MVTC will host another spring campground cleanup in preparation for the coming holiday weekend. This day will be focusing on Klipchuck Campground outside of Mazama, one of the district's most highly used campgrounds. Forest Service staff have removed hazardous trees for the year. Our volunteers' goal is to clear duff and brush from tent pads and around fire rings and pick up any out-of-place trash campers may have inadvertently left. This work helps with camp fire safety early in the season, and provides a camping experience closer to the standard visitors have experienced in the past.

Twisp River Work Week: May 22nd-27th

May 22nd-28th. A crew of hardy volunteers will be camping at the Poplar Flats campground and working to clear trails in the Twisp River Drainage. MVTC and FS staff will work with the volunteers and direct efforts each day. If you can join for a day or more, we would surely appreciate the help! We’ll meet at Poplar Flats each morning at 8:30, then divide from there. MVTC has already been working on the drainage and has begun maintenance on the Twisp River, Scatter Creek, and Oval Creek trails. This week will continue that work and help prepare for upcoming Washington Trails Association volunteer vacations. Check out the signup for details about the week!

Highway 20 work week: June 12th-19th

The snow is melting, and it's time to give the beloved trails on Highway 20 an annual polish. This week of work will focus on clearing any fallen trees from trails in the Highway 20 corridor, improving the tread surfaces, clearing some brush, and repairing drainage features. There will be work for all ability levels and skill types! Hikes are expected to be no greater than 6 miles round trip.

Recreation Site Reporting

In response to major staffing reductions in 2025, Forest Service priorities will of necessity shift to basic health and human safety (pumping vault toilets, managing hazard trees, responding to wildfire incidents, etc) and maintenance of developed recreation sites such as campgrounds and trailheads.  The MVRD anticipates keeping most sites open but with limited or reduced services. Volunteers can help to maintain sites to a higher standard for visitors (trash pickups, duff removal from RV/tent pads, cleaning and re-stocking toilet paper between outhouse servicing, etc.). In addition to developed recreation sites, dispersed recreation sites will require monitoring and maintenance, too. The Ranger District has put together a Google Form to report work accomplished by any good Samaritan helping maintain recreation infrastructure.

More work parties to be announced

Volunteering at a work party is a great way to connect with the community and give back to the trails we enjoy. MVTC is working on our 2025 calendar of volunteer events. This is a very adaptive summer for us at the Trails Collaborative, and we are trying to meet needs as they arise. We’ll do our best to keep things scheduled in advance and work parties posted here, but completing the form below is the best way to be informed of work parties, even if they are scheduled last minute.

Complete the form below to be informed of upcoming work parties

Volunteer Appreciations

We are immensely grateful to those who dedicate their time and energy to stewarding public lands. While the feeling of giving back is rewarding in itself, MVTC would still like to offer some tokens of gratitude to our hard-working volunteers. 

Come to two Trails Collaborative volunteer events in a year, and receive a 20-oz Hydroflask thanks to a product donation from the Hydroflask Parks for All program. 

Come to three work parties annually and receive a stylish Trails Collaborative ball cap, embossed with our logo to show your dedication to trails in the Methow.

Anything beyond, and be known as a champion for trails in the hearts and minds of the trail workers of the Methow. Anyone who volunteers for 16 hours on lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service in a calendar year can receive a volunteer Northwest Forest Pass. MVTC will coordinate this process as a thank you for your time.