Volunteer
Upcoming MVTC work parties
Cedar Creek Trail work: 04/24-04/25
MVTC’s first work party of the 2026 field season will be at the Cedar Creek trail. We’re taking a bit of a guess here that there was some storm damage to this trail post the December Rain event, and we’d like to get ahead of the need to keep this beloved outing safe and passable. Staff will be assessing needs as soon as the snow melts, so stay tuned for exact project details. If we are incorrect in our estimate that there is storm damage on the trail, then we will pivot these work party days to another trail in the Mazama area with storm damage. Hiking should be under four miles round trip.
Twisp River Work Week: 05/14-05/21
Join MVTC staff and a dedicated group of volunteers for our second annual Twisp River Work Week. A crew of volunteers will be camping at the Polar Flats Campground for the week, and you are encouraged to join if interested, or just join for a day as your schedule allows. The main goal of the week is to clear winter blowdowns from trails in the Twisp River Drainage, but deferred brushing and repairing washouts from the December 2025 rainstorm will also be on the docket. There will be work for all ability levels and skill types. Hikes are expected to be around 6 miles or less round-trip.
West Fork of the Buttermilk Work Weekend: 06/05-06/07
We’ll be spending the weekend working on the West Fork of the Buttermilk. MVTC reopened this trail in 2025, and we’d like to make sure everyone has safe access to Beautiful Star Lake again in 2026. Our goal will be to start the logout of this through fair to the Sawtooth crest, and address encroaching brush along the way. Each day, the logout will go a little further up the trail, so come Friday for a shorter hike, and Sunday for the longer option. All skillsets are welcome.
Highway 20 work week: 06/18-06/25
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, 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.
We will meet at the Driveway Butte Trailhead at 8:30 each morning, form a work plan for the day, then carpool to the selected trailhead. We’ll aim to return to Driveway Butte by 3:00 pm at the latest. Reach out if you would like to coordinate a carpool from Winthrop. Join us for one day, or volunteer for multiple days throughout the week. We’ll take all the help we can get this year.
Copper Pass Trail Restoration: 07/17-07/18, 08/01-08/02
Come help polish up the rugged Copper Pass trail as it climbs into the alpine above the Bridge Creek. Our goal is to restore this trail to make another appealing option for excursions along the SR-20 corridor. This section of the trail is within the footprint of the 2023 Blue Lake fire, so expect to get a bit sooty and don’t wear your finest gear on this work party. Our goal will be to rehabilitate the tread surface through the burn to keep trail users following the same path. The primary focus of these work parties will be tread repair. Expect a 3-6 mile round-trip hike, depending on the work location, and a steep climb.
We will meet at the Bridge Creek Trailhead at 9:00 each morning, and aim to return to the cars by 2:30 pm at the latest. Reach out if you would like to coordinate a carpool from Winthrop. Join us for one day, or volunteer for multiple days on this trail restoration project.
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.
A hardy crew of skilled volunteers standing atop their work, a new trail bridge at North Summit.
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.