We Love Idaho Trails
As the voice for hikers, Idaho Trails Association promotes the conservation and enjoyment of Idaho’s backcountry on foot.
ITA is a nonprofit that works with volunteers, organizations, and government partners to preserve Idaho’s incredible trail system through education, maintenance projects, and public lands advocacy. Join us in our mission to keep Idaho’s hiking trails open for all!
Caretaking of Trails
Caretaking of Trails
Since ITA began, we’ve completed nearly 400 trail stewardship projects with the help of hundreds of volunteers.
Education and Awareness
Education and Awareness
ITA educates the public about the stewardship of our recreation areas and following Leave No Trace principles.
Advocacy and Protection
Advocacy and Protection
As the voice for Idaho’s hiking community, ITA works to conserve trails and keep public lands public.
Traditional Skills
Traditional Skills
Crew leaders teach volunteers the safe use of hand tools on every project to keep trails open in the front and backcountry.
Volunteer with ITA
We need hikers, bikers, equestrians, hunters, and public lands enthusiasts of all kinds to join us on trail maintenance projects across the state of Idaho. Give back to your trails by volunteering for a day, weekend or weeklong project in some of the most beautiful landscapes Idaho has to offer. Our experienced crew leaders will teach you everything you need to know about maintaining trails using traditional trail maintenance tools. Find adventure and give back to your public lands!
We host special projects for women, youth, veterans, and more. Check out our FAQs about volunteering or the full list of upcoming projects to find the right one for you.
“There are a lot of things I love about volunteering with ITA! From the smell of freshly-cut everything to being able to explore little-known spectacular Wilderness areas to opening up new/old trails for everyone to explore. I also love all the people that I have met through my ITA experiences. There’s just something magical about quickly forming a team, slowing down to nature’s pace, putting in some hard work on trails together, dealing with and/or accepting whatever weather arrives, and then being able to share stories back at camp or even back at home later.” – ITA Crew Leader Bryce Campbell
Recent Stories
Volunteer Spotlight: Trisha Thomason
We’re thrilled to shine the spotlight on Trisha, one of ITA’s incredible volunteers whose passion for the outdoors and ... Read More
Trail Spotlight: Shingle Flat
Our Trail Spotlight highlights day trips to multi-day hikes across Idaho. Trail conditions can change quickly- swollen rivers can become impassable, ... Read More
Volunteer Spotlight: Jessica Evett
Jess brings a wealth of experience to ITA—from working as a wilderness ranger to decades in nonprofit and public ... Read More
Follow us on Instagram @IdahoTrailsAssociation
We are deeply saddened by the tragedy that occurred on Canfield Mountain yesterday and our hearts go out to the families impacted. We all must come together in support of those who take care of our safety and our public land! Thank you to the brave responders who came out to protect us and Canfield Mountain! 🇺🇸♥️🚒🚓🚑
From June 18-25, ITA teamed up with SBFC and Forest Service to clear ~10 miles of trail along the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. The team of 12 worked through heat, rain, and a bit of snow to remove trees, clear drains, redo/reroute tread, and brush various sections of trail. Impressive achievements of the week included the removal of two “Monderosas” very large Ponderosas, creating a “junk” wall of rocks, brushing lots of “see a no trail” Ceanothus (Buck Brush), and removing a “gigantic” rock from the trail.
Throughout the week we were greeted with some unexpected visitors including Ryan Ghelfi (SBFC Executive Director), Melanie Vining (ITA Executive Director), and her friend Val. A “surprise” visitor was Matt Bishop and his mule Eugene of Café Mule, who arrived with beer and coffee, yay!
Hats off to ITA volunteers: Amy, Charlotte, James, Justy, and Lee; SBFC partners: Abe, Noah, and Mary (a.k.a. The Holy Trio); FS Rangers: Harry and Eric; and FS Horse Packer: Tyler.
Thanks everyone for making this project a success.
-Crew Leaders Michelle & Glenn
Photos by: Michelle Florence, Glenn Florence, Justy Thomas, Abram Wilkinson, and Amy Lunstrum
⚡ Public Lands at Risk (Again) ⚡
A new proposal from Senator Mike Lee could force the sale of up to 1.2 million acres of public land near populations centers.
These close-to-home places are where we hike, bike, and connect with nature. Selling them would be a huge loss for access, recreation, and Idaho’s quality of life.
Examples of just a few places this provision could affect (thank you Conservation Voters for Idaho for these):
1. Boise and Eagle Foothills
2. Land surrounding Hailey and Ketchum
3. Scout Mountain outside of Pocatello
4. Hunting grounds and trails outside of Emmett
🗣️ Take action NOW before the Senate votes!
Call or email Senators Risch and Crapo and urge them to oppose this harmful land sell-off.
📞 Risch: (202) 224-2752
📞 Crapo: (202) 224-6142
or use Conservation Voters for Idaho's contact form here: www.cvidaho.org/idaho-public-land/
Let’s keep public lands in public hands!
Last week, the Alpine Way crew experienced the full range of Idaho summer weather, from jumping in the lake to cool off to bundling up under a tarp to stay out of the snow! Based at Marshall Lake in the Sawtooth Wilderness, the crew backpacked in and worked along the Alpine Way trail, clearing 163 trees over 2.6 miles toward Goat Creek. At camp, the crew swatted mosquitos away while admiring the spring runoff waterfalls surrounding them. Towards the end of the trip, the heat turned to rain and snow, and after deciding one freezing night was enough the crew gathered tools and packed out early. Fun crosscut work, great conversation, and the unfazed smiles of the crew amidst the obstacles made this a stellar project!!
pics by: Sarah A, Abigail M., Rebekah S., Drew S., Nic T., and Alex C.
🌲 Volunteers needed! 🌲
We have seven volunteer spots open on our North Fork Boise River weekend project happing July 19-20. Starting at the Deer Park Guard Station, this trail follows the river as it winds past granite cliffs and lush pine forest. Known for its access to swimming and fishing, this gem of the Boise National Forest gets blocked by brush and logs and further in, there are landslides which restrict access. Volunteers will spend a weekend working as far up as we can to chip away at opening this trail for the summer season. See link in our profile to learn more!
Thank you to our volunteers who cleared the Upper Priest Lake Trail in North Idaho! We had a lovely time together backpacking in to a gorgeous lakeshore campsite and clearing trail along the way. We sawed out 30 downed trees and cut back brush along the way, including a 200ft reroute due to an extremely large tree that had fallen along the path of the trail. We couldn't do it without our amazing volunteers! Thank you all!!
If you're interested in helping on another project, we are low on volunteers for our Stateline Trail project (8/2-8/3) and could really use some help to make it happen! Sign up on our website!
6 ITA volunteers spent 5 days clearing the Lake Creek trail in the Gospel Hump Wilderness. From the trailhead to Fish Lake, they cut 360 trees while fending off mosquitoes and daily thunderstorms. It has been a few years since this trail was open, so get out there and enjoy it before next season's trees come down!
An SBFC crew will continue work from the lake to the 233 road later this year.
Photos by Clay Jacobson, Dan Lynch, and Chuck McKenney
Last weekend, ITA hosted our first all-girls youth trail project. Seven girls, a volunteer crew leader, volunteer camp cook, and ITA Executive Director Melanie Vining traveled east of Stanley, Idaho to work on the Warm Springs Trail in the Cecil D. Andrus- White Clouds Wilderness. This amazing group of young women, all new to trail work except one, cleared 16 logs, brushed, and improved trail tread on 3 miles of trail. Even more than the trail work, the leaders were impressed by the way these girls- previously strangers- became friends, working as a team both on the trail and in camp. The future of public lands is bright if these young women are any indication!
Photos by Melanie V., Brenda M., and Samantha W.
We had six crews out on trails all across Idaho this past Saturday in honor of National Trails Day! Over 70 volunteers came out to clear brush, fix tread, dig water bars, and remove trees from trails. Thank you to our volunteers, members, and supporters who help make this work possible!
Trails we worked on:
Station Creek in the Boise National Forest
Upper Basin Interpretive Trail in the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest
Purjue Canyon in the Owyhee Canyonlands
Mickinnick Trail in the Idaho Panhandle National Forest
Polecat in the Boise Foothills
City Creek Trails near Pocatello
#NationalTrailsDay