Find your path: Track down a National Trails Day event near you

Last year's patch. This year's design hasn't yet been released.
The official National Trails Day patch. Get yours at ScoutStuff.org.

Maybe you’ll walk in the footsteps of the Wright Brothers in Ohio, hike from scene to scene in an outdoor production of Snow White in Boulder, or bike through redwoods in California.

Wherever you are, there’s surely a National Trails Day event near you.

So save the date for Saturday, June 1, to take your Scouts or Venturers to a local hike, cycling event, horseback ride, trail-maintenance project, paddle trip, health fair, geocaching activity, photo safari, or birdwatching expedition.

American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day, which I’ve blogged about annually since 2010, is a great way to show people in your community that Scouting and the outdoors go hand in hand. Who knows a trail better than a bunch of Boy Scouts or Venturers?

To start, search for an activity near you.  There’s a National Trails Day event in nearly every state, but if you don’t find anything that interests your pack, troop, team, or crew, why not lead from the front and host your own event?

Teach a Leave No Trace class to the community, host a family hike, or lead a trail-cleanup project. Any Scout-led NTD event creates good will in the community — not to mention it has recruiting potential.

For last year’s 20th anniversary National Trails Day, more than 157,000 people participated in 2,176 registered activities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Canada.

With your unit on board, this year can be even better. So dust off those hiking shoes, and hit the trails!

Patch? Perfect!

Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Venturers who participate in or host a National Trails Day event are eligible to purchase the limited-edition National Trails Day patch, available now at ScoutStuff.org or local Scout shops.


Photo from Flickr:  Some rights reserved by Images by John ‘K’


About Bryan Wendell 3282 Articles
Bryan Wendell, an Eagle Scout, is the founder of Bryan on Scouting and a contributing writer.