By ITA Volunteer and Board Member Liz Bridges In the US, many of our most revered routes trace trails created by the native peoples of this continent. In Idaho, the Shoshone, Blackfoot, Paiute, Nez Perce and others had long established trails that connected spring foraging areas with summer hunting grounds, fall fishing stations with winter quarters. Over time, trails put in place by native peoples became roads and well-known ... Read More

Volunteers from a 2020 Little Queens River Trail project sawed many logs to clear this trail. But more work is needed to open up the Queens/Little Queens 30-mile loop. We have two projects scheduled on this lost trail and we are hoping to complete the loop this year in the Sawtooths! Idaho Gives has begun! Give back to the trails you love and the places you’ve ... Read More

If you’ve ever looked in the back of one of ITA’s tool trailers, you’ve probably seen a jumble of pulaskis and crosscuts, boxes of cooking equipment and eating utensils, and bags of camping gear and ITA hardhats. No matter how hard our crew leaders and staff worked to keep things organized, quick turnarounds between projects and bouncing around on backcountry roads meant our gear was constantly in a ... Read More

New to backpacking? We have some awesome ways coming up for you to learn the basics! This year we are excited to kick off our Backpacking 101 series. We'll be hosting webinars, in-person events, and trail projects to teach you how to feel comfortable, be safe, and respect the land while backpacking. Click on each event below to learn more information and sign up. There is limited space ... Read More

On February 8, 2022, we were shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of John Platt. John was one of the leaders of the Idaho Trails Association. He served on our Board of Directors, volunteered to lead many of our trail crews, was a valued teacher, and became a cherished friend. John made everyone feel a part of "the crew", sharing his skills and love for the ... Read More

About Tom Tom’s been fortunate to hike and climb in some of the most beautiful places in the world, especially right here in Idaho. To help others enjoy outdoor adventures, he’s led hundreds of hiking and climbing trips and served as an instructor for classes in rock, snow, and ice climbing, wilderness first aid, leadership, backpacking, wilderness survival, and avalanche avoidance. Tom has served as an officer or ... Read More

By Jeff Halligan Clem Pope passed away on February 2, 2022.  He led a life of true adventures, friendship, laughter and love and was a great and caring friend, brother, father, and partner to Diane. Clem leaves behind a huge number of friends and acquaintances throughout the world and will be missed by so many.     Clem’s legacy He dedicated his life to the preservation of Wilderness, the bigger the ... Read More

Did you miss our webinar about reducing waste in the backcountry? You can watch the recorded presentation here! We welcomed Ana Lucía, a thru-hiker who completed the Pacific Crest Trail in 2021, to share her zero waste journey with us. Her presentation included a lot of awesome recommendations for brands and resources she found helpful and she generously shared her list of links with us below! Huge thanks to ... Read More

John serves as Treasurer on ITA's Board of Directors. He is originally from rural northern Idaho and appreciates the region’s dark forests, abundant water and fluid weather. Since moving to Boise 26 years ago, he has enjoyed southern Idaho’s blue skies and year round outdoor recreational opportunities. If he is not hiking, floating or skiing, he is on one of his mountain bikes riding in the Boise foothills or neighboring ... Read More

We are excited to introduce to you Alex Cravener, the newest member of our staff joining us as ITA’s Trail Projects Director! Alex will soon be working with volunteers and coordinating all things related to our trail projects. Alex grew up in Phoenix, Arizona and has been living in Boise the last 5 years. Her love for everything outdoors started in Flagstaff, Arizona, where she went to Northern Arizona University ... Read More