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What a beautiful summer we have been having! It’s time to celebrate our great trails. National Public Lands Day (NPLD) is the nation’s largest single-day volunteer event for public lands. In Alaska, with over 300 million acres of public land, we have a lot to celebrate. In 2024, NPLD will be held on Saturday, Sept. 28.
Volunteering on trails is a great way to connect communities to the public lands in their backyard and it gives them a healthy, active way to share in the stewardship of these important areas. Alaska’s trails, on our public lands, improve our physical and mental health, boost our economy, and strengthen our community. For residents and visitors alike, trails get us out, keep us active and help us access the outdoors.
Alaska Trails works to enhance and maintain trails across Alaska. Sustainable trails enable all types of users to access and enjoy public lands while not compromising the integrity and beauty that make the land so unique. Trails enhance our economy in communities across the state. Whether for hunting and fishing access, Tuesday Night Races, singletrack mountain biking or a stroll with the family — trails bring us out and together. They are the backbone of outdoor life.
In the summer of 2023, the Alaska Trail Stewards volunteer program held 21 events. Volunteers contributed 1,235 hours of their time and effort, amounting to $32,273 in donated labor. Volunteers improved 47,150 feet of trail on public lands in Chugach State Park, Chugach National Forest, and the City of Whittier. In 2024, the Trail Stewards are set to complete 25 volunteer events and surpass these numbers. The Alaska Trail Stewards help land managers decrease the backlog of trail maintenance on public lands, and the program creates land stewards who walk away with knowledge and appreciation of sustainable trails in Alaska.
Sierra Club Alaska is the local chapter of an environmental nonprofit with a mission to enjoy, explore, and protect the planet. The chapter aims to protect wilderness to ensure Alaskans can explore and enjoy them for generations to come. What better way to celebrate National Public Lands Day than by partnering with Alaska Trails to improve sustainable access to our beloved hiking trails?
On National Public Lands Day, the Alaska Trail Stewards will be teaming up with Sierra Club Alaska and Chugach State Park to improve the Sunnyside Flattop Trail.
Across the state and the Lower 48, there are great volunteer activities and you can find more information about them at the National Public Lands Day website.
If you plan to volunteer, remember to come dressed for the weather, wear work boots and work gloves, and bring a water bottle, food, and a smile. Your work is important to the trails and the great benefits they bring. Please sign up on our website.
For more information about this event or sustainable trail work in Alaska, please contact Alaska Trails at 907-334-8049 or visit their website at: www.alaska-trails.org
Maya Kaup is the volunteer and communications coordinator for Alaska Trails.
Andrea Feniger is the director of Sierra Club Alaska.
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