Every year, the American Hiking Society (AHS) celebrates National Trails Day, a day of service for hometown trails and the people who love them, on the first Saturday of June. This year, the holiday falls on June 4, and marks the occasion’s 30th anniversary.
Locally, you can get involved in an organized National Trails Day event at Fort Hunter’s Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site, which will offer a paddle on the Mohawk River starting at 9am and a guided nature walk at 1pm. (Schoharie Crossing is hosting similar events all throughout June, a.k.a. Great Outdoors Month.) Other upstate programs include a full day of outdoor activities at the Columbia Land Conservancy in Chatham, and trail maintenance at Grafton Lakes State Park and the Northville-Placid Trail in the Adirondacks.
The AHS recognizes that not everyone is able to get out and actually work on their hometown trails, so offers several other ways to celebrate National Trails Day.
Ways to Celebrate National Trails Day
- Speak Up: Tell your Congressional representative how much you value outdoor spaces, and ask them to pass legislation supporting trails, public lands and inclusive access for all.
- Give a gift: Join a local trail nonprofit, such as the Schenectady chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club and the Environmental Clearinghouse, or donate to one.
- Leave a trail better than you found it: Commit to taking a trash bag with you whenever you hike or go for a walk, even in your own neighborhood.
- Wear your love of trails: AHS sells National Trails Day–branded apparel , so you can help share its message of “Leave it Better Than You Found it” everywhere you go.
Local Trails To Explore On National Trails Day
- Central Park’s convenient hiking and mountain biking trail system
- Rotterdam’s Plotter Kill Preserve, which features three waterfalls
- Glenville's 100-acre Indian Kill Nature Preserve
- The dog-friendly, 1.8-mile Great Flats Nature Trail
Check out even more Capital Region trails to explore in our bird-watching blog!