From Our Blog:
Our Trail Spotlight highlights day trips to multi-day hikes across Idaho. Trail conditions can change quickly- swollen rivers can become impassable, windstorms can knock trees down across trails, and snow can come earlier than expected. Please take these recommendations as a jumping off place and do additional research to understand current ... Read More
By Melanie Vining, ITA Executive Director I wouldn’t put myself in the “wing it” category, but if there is spectrum I’d not be at the “well-prepared” end either. Maybe somewhere in the middle. I’ve taken off on ten-mile day hikes with running shoes and a peanut butter sandwich, but ... Read More
The first season of our Trail Scouting Program is underway! One of our volunteers scouted about 30 miles of the Middle Fork Trail from the Boundary Creek Boat Launch down to the Pistol Creek Airstrip already, but with the snow melting out in the high country, there are more ... Read More
Submitted by ITA volunteer cook, Hugh Cooke. What is a Camp Dutch Oven? Kitchen dutch oven has rounded dome lid to capture liquids and flat bottom to rest on range. Camping coals will not stay on this lid with ease. Camp Dutch Oven has three legs to hold pot ... Read More
Great for camping out or at home, this recipe is a crowd-pleaser! Submitted by ITA volunteer cook, Hugh Cooke. Check out our Dutch Oven Cooking Tips for Beginners if you are new to Dutch oven cooking. Cheese, Green Chile & Chicken Enchilada Dutch Oven recipe 12” Dutch oven ... Read More
By Melanie Vining, ITA Executive Director My summer recently took a hard right turn. On Wednesday, May 15th, I had a calendar full of ITA trips, hiking trips, trail runs, and outside projects at my house. On Thursday, May 16th, I was lying prone on a stretcher, bound for ... Read More
Our Trail Spotlight highlights day trips to multi-day hikes across Idaho. Trail conditions can change quickly- swollen rivers can become impassable, windstorms can knock trees down across trails, and snow can come earlier than expected. Please take these recommendations as a jumping off place and do additional research to understand current ... Read More
Alexis Bennett is an Idaho native who enjoys big hikes and trails with her son and dog. Her street credit includes 20 years of running and weight training experience, including as a collegiate track athlete, finishing the Boise Trail Challenge on foot in 2023, and holding the women’s single-day ... Read More
Our Trail Spotlight highlights day trips to multi-day hikes across Idaho. Trail conditions can change quickly- swollen rivers can become impassable, windstorms can knock trees down across trails, and snow can come earlier than expected. Please take these recommendations as a jumping off place and do additional research to understand current ... Read More
Brad helped to start ITA back in 2009 and recently volunteered many hours to create ITA's new Frank Church-River of No Return Trail Map! He is heading up a new ITA volunteer opportunity of gathering GPS data in the south half of the Frank to produce a second map ... Read More
We are excited to be hosting many projects on the thousand-mile Idaho Centennial Trail this summer! The ICT is Idaho's only thru-hike that spans from Canada all the way to Nevada. We have many opportunities for volunteers to visit and work on the ICT this year. If you find ... Read More
By Melanie Vining I remember my friend Tobey calling me in the spring seven years ago, asking if she could stay at our house in Council on her way to a trail project. Of course I said yes- she was one of my oldest friends, and distance and busy ... Read More
Idaho Trails Association is teaming up with Two Wolf Foundation for a women’s veteran trail project in late May, and we are so excited! Two Wolf Foundation was founded in 2022 by Executive Director Brian Flynn, whose own struggles after retirement from military service compelled him to help others ... Read More
Our Trail Spotlight highlights day trips to multi-day hikes across Idaho. Trail conditions can change quickly- swollen rivers can become impassable, windstorms can knock trees down across trails, and snow can come earlier than expected. Please take these recommendations as a jumping off place and do additional research to understand current ... Read More
For the second year in a row, Leslie is leading ITA's first project of the year- the BSU Alternative Spring Break Project! We can only hope this year's group will be as lucky as last year's and see mountain goats. Even if not, the crew is fortunate to have ... Read More
Our Trail Spotlight highlights day trips to multi-day hikes across Idaho. Trail conditions can change quickly- swollen rivers can become impassable, windstorms can knock trees down across trails, and snow can come earlier than expected. Please take these recommendations as a jumping off place and do additional research to understand current ... Read More
Alexis Bennett is an Idaho native who enjoys big hikes and trails with her son and dog. Her street credit includes 20 years of running and weight training experience, including as a collegiate track athlete, finishing the Boise Trail Challenge on foot in 2023, and holding the women’s single-day ... Read More
Part 3: The Work- By Melanie Vining, Executive Director. Click here to read Part 1 and Part 2. ITA works with public land managers across Idaho, but most of the time our land manager partner is the Forest Service. We work on nine National Forests in Idaho and in ... Read More
Part 2: The Nitty Gritty and Project Sign Up- By Melanie Vining, Executive Director. Click here to read part 1. Tune in for part 3 about working on trails coming soon! The first two weeks of February for ITA staff, especially our Trail Projects Director, is a bit like ... Read More
Navy vet Ray Arguello began volunteering in 2018 with ITA and last year became a crew leader. He is excited to be part of our growing Veterans Program and is leading our first weeklong Veterans project this year at Ditch Creek. He also enjoys working with young people and ... Read More
Part 1: Project Schedule- By Melanie Vining, Executive Director. Check back for part 2 and 3 about project signups and working on trails coming soon! We get questions regularly about how we choose projects each season, what trail work is and why we do it the way we do. ... Read More
Our Trail Spotlight highlights day trips to multi-day hikes across Idaho. Trail conditions can change quickly- swollen rivers can become impassable, windstorms can knock trees down across trails, and snow can come earlier than expected. Please take these recommendations as a jumping off place and do additional research to understand current ... Read More
ITA's 2023 Annual Report is here! We had an INCREDIBLE year for trails thanks to your support. Read highlights from the season and see some gorgeous photos of Idaho’s backcountry taken by our volunteers and staff. We’ve got updates about our Women in the Wild, Youth, and Veterans programs, ... Read More
Our Trail Spotlight highlights day trips to multi-day hikes across Idaho. Trail conditions can change quickly- swollen rivers can become impassable, windstorms can knock trees down across trails, and snow can come earlier than expected. Please take these recommendations as a jumping off place and do additional research to understand current ... Read More
Bryce wins the award for being the ITA crew leader and supporter that lives the furthest away! While living in Idaho, he discovered ITA and worked his way up to leading crews. He moved to Taiwan to be closer to his wife but still makes the trip back to ... Read More
When we immerse ourselves in things, we often do so in anticipation of a significant end result. We hope for transformation. Immersive language study. Cold water immersion. Immersion therapy. You go into it one way – you come out of it changed. Back in 2021, ITA dreamed up a ... Read More
These businesses and partners have offered some great discounts for ITA members! Not yet an ITA supporter? Join here! If you are a member, keep an eye out for email instructions for how to get these discounts: Felco- 10% off entire order GAIA GPS- Free 30-day trial Resurgo Coffee- ... Read More
Our Trail Spotlight highlights day trips to multi-day hikes across Idaho. Trail conditions can change quickly- swollen rivers can become impassable, windstorms can knock trees down across trails, and snow can come earlier than expected. Please take these recommendations as a jumping off place and do additional research to understand current ... Read More
Our 2023 North Idaho Crew Leader of the year is Julie Kallemeyn! Besides leading crews, she is also a member of ITA's Advisory Board. One of the volunteers on a trip that she led described her leadership this way: "She made the trip so much fun that you didn't ... Read More
Unlike many kids, when I first heard the tale of the tortoise and the hare, I didn’t identify with the flashy, speedy rabbit. “Slow and steady wins the race” resonated with me. The stodgy tortoise’s persistent trudge was inspiring to me, which proved prophetic. Growing up and into my ... Read More
We are excited to be offering a 2024 12-month ITA Wall calendar just in time for the new year! Get this trail-tactic calendar when you give $100 or more to ITA's Annual Membership Drive. Featuring the best photos taken across Idaho on 2023 trail projects, enjoy serene mountain views ... Read More
Idaho Trails Association's 2023 Membership Drive is kicks off on Giving Tuesday and goes through the end of the year. Check out our campaign page here. As a member, you play a part in preserving trails and keeping public lands accessible for years to come. Your gift goes towards ... Read More
Our Trail Spotlight highlights day trips to multi-day hikes across Idaho. Trail conditions can change quickly- swollen rivers can become impassable, windstorms can knock trees down across trails, and snow can come earlier than expected. Please take these recommendations as a jumping off place and do additional research to understand current ... Read More
Our 2023 Volunteer of the Year for the South Idaho region is Brenda Magnuson! As a fairly new ITA volunteer, she came on five projects this year for a total of 12 days on the trail, helped out at several events during the season, and helped move tools and ... Read More
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO VOTED FOR IDAHO TRAILS ASSOCIATION IN THE LAND ROVER DEFENDER SERVICE AWARDS! Your support and words of encouragement meant everything to us throughout this contest. We did not receive enough votes to make it to the top two spots but we are grateful for ... Read More
As a crew leader and photographer, Dave not only works hard on the trail leading trips but also captures some amazing images as well. Dave chronicles his adventures and post his photos on his blog, Davefaitlemonde.com. This summer just a few hours into the three-week Wilderness Immersion project in ... Read More
Our Trail Spotlight highlights day trips to multi-day hikes across Idaho. Trail conditions can change quickly- swollen rivers can become impassable, windstorms can knock trees down across trails, and snow can come earlier than expected. Please take these recommendations as a jumping off place and do additional research to understand current ... Read More
SCAVENGER HUNT! Want to win coffee from Café Mulé and a sweet ITA cup?! Be the first to find our trail crews this Saturday (September 23) on National Public Lands Day on our Snowshoe Hare Loop project near Boise or our Owyhee Trails project! WHERE WILL THE CREWS BE? ... Read More
ITA has been named as one of five nonprofit finalists in the Land Rover Defender Service Awards and has the chance to win a customized Land Rover and $25,000! A large four wheel drive like this would be instrumental in allowing more volunteers (especially youth) to participate in projects ... Read More
Dan and Marja are Backcountry Horseman volunteers who pack gear and supplies for ITA projects as well as other groups doing trail work in the Wilderness. We applaud their enthusiasm for protecting and maintaining Idaho's trails and volunteering for seven pack trips across Idaho in 2023 alone! For our backcountry ... Read More