WEEK 6: Smith Rock

DONATE $50 OR MORE AND YOU WILL BE ENTERED TO WIN ONE OF 5 Pairs of Danner boots of your choosing.

We have a special relationship brewing with Danner & 10 Barrel Brewing to announce in early 2022, but until that time both partners have committed $2500 to matching every donation you give $1 for $1 up to $5000. 

DONATE

There’s more than one way to win! Volunteer at any of our events this week (12/6-12/12) and you’ll also be entered to win!

Volunteer with TKO

Think local, act statewide.

Make no mistake, TKO is growing. Short of 5 years since hiring our first staff person in 2017, TKO now has 8 staff with regional hubs in Portland, the Columbia Gorge, Mt. Hood, and both the northern (Manzanita) & southern (Coos Bay) Oregon Coast. Balancing a steady interest of strategic and opportunistic investments across different funding mechanisms and community support, our expansion is going where we see we can make a difference in support of hiking trails.  

Smith Rock State Park is one of several reach projects and regions that we hope to grow into thoughtfully, making sure to complement what local groups have been doing for years with our value added, where needed. Communities that are eager for our introduction to advocacy and stewardship support can only occur by you speaking up and becoming active to bring to our attention the needs of the trail systems in your area of Oregon. Often times this starts with a community member reaching out to TKO to become a local legend to lead ambassador activities and trail parties, bridging our TKO leadership team to build relationships with local, state and federal land managers with our history of service elsewhere in the state.

I want to support trails in Oregon

BY THE NUMBERS:

OREGON STATE PARKS

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Feet of Trails Improved

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Stewardship Events

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Volunteer Participants

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In Kind Value of Volunteer Time

SMITH ROCK STATE PARK

AN OREGON WONDER EXPOSED

The 7 Wonders of Oregon was a tourism campaign that highlighted a number of Oregon’s most special places and regions. Without knowing it, the campaign revealed an international audience that flocked to these places without the land managers being prepared for the sudden uptick in visitor use. Smith Rock had 2 year round staff at the time and a small seasonal maintenance budget. Oregon State Parks staff were forced to put their heads down and focus on the basics – restrooms and visitor compliance (rule enforcement, such as day use fees and parking). THe small park took a beating from all the intrigue of its beauty and the trails are getting wore out continuously.

We are looking to offer added trail maintenance and enhancements to ensure that this Wonder of Oregon can be around for all to enjoy. Donors like you believe that trails and the life changing experiences they provide should be accessible to everyone who wants them. Help Oregon’s trail legacy be one that future generations can enjoy by donating today!

Join the legacy

SCALABLE GROWTH

OPPORTUNITY & STRATEGY

Starting with community member interest or a call from local land managers, initial reach strategies come through Trailkeepers University and staffing/internship projects that are brought on through a grant or a corporate sponsorship. We then build more scalable and sustainable funding to support longer term staffing and project funds. Our goal is not just to build these new trails and run away, but to make sure that they stay open and accessible for many more years to come. You can help us keep the legacy of this and other trails in Oregon going strong by donating today.

Join the legacy

Latest News

A large group of TKO Trail Ambassadors stand in front of a waterfall. The image is overlaid by the TKO logo.

Trail Ambassadors are gearing up for a big year on Oregon’s trails

Every spring, Trailkeepers of Oregon Trail Ambassadors head out onto some of Oregon’s most well-loved trails to welcome visitors and share important information about the trail, hiking safety, Leave No Trace, local flora and fauna, and more. We’ve added more locations to our repertoire for this season and we need your help to meet the growing demand on our trails!

[…]

A Message from TKO’s Executive Director

Happy Holidays Trailkeepers,

The TKO Legacy Builders end-of-year campaign is coming to a close on December 31st. We are so proud that this campaign is fueled by a grassroots donor base that builds a kick start of support for a new year. Our approach continues to be that everyone in their own way is a Trailkeeper – giving time, giving passion, or giving dollars. Each of these contributions amount to more protection and enhancement of Oregon’s hiking trails.

[…]

Improving the Columbia River Gorge Trail Experience

From Latourell Falls to Mosier Plateau, TKO volunteers put in 6,171 hours (257 days!) in the Columbia River Gorge throughout 2023 ensuring your favorite trails remain ready to welcome you on your adventures. Read on for fun insight on the wide variety of trails and projects that you, our community, helped us to pursue!

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