There’s more than one way to win this week. Sign up below for the TKO Trail Ambassador email list. After you sign up, check your inbox for the first training video – watch the video and you’ll be entered into the raffle!
The Legacy Keepers challenge fund has been created by hiking/running clubs, partner groups & individual donors. These donors have committed to pool their gifts together as a peer-to-peer matching gift for the last days of the Legacy Builders campaign.
Donate $30+ and you’ll be entered to win 1 of 3 one-night stays at Smith Creek Village. This quaint resort right next to Silver Falls State Park is a get-away you wont want to miss out on.
Silver Falls State Park is the flagship of the Oregon State Parks system.We began forging our relationships with the trails and the rangers there in 2019 and we have come a long way! Beginning by building a cohort of volunteer leaders in the Willamette valley allowed us to steadily drum a beat of stewardship in the the region. Since then, volunteers have moved through a variety of projects including building a crib wall to shore up part of the Canyon Trail that was being eroded, installing gabions to correct trail erosion from drainage and even began work on the brand new North Rim Trail!
In 2021, TKO was asked by the staff at Silver Falls to assist in the construction of two 65 ft bridges that would go over 2 creek crossings on the soon-to-be-opened new North Rim trail. This all-ages, all-abilities trail will extend to a never before seen viewpoint of the iconic North Falls. How could we say no?
There was no funding in place for TKO to take on helping with these bridge projects. But we knew the importance of leaving a legacy at this iconic state park, so our staff and volunteers stepped up anyway. After many months of hard work by both TKO volunteers and OPRD Staff, both of these bridges have wrapped up construction! There’s still a lot that needs to be done to get the full trail ready for opening, but TKO will be there to continue lending a hand.
Projects like these bridges exist all over Oregon, just waiting for a dedicated volunteer group to step up and say “We can help.” When you become a supporter of TKO you help us reach more trails than ever before, so we can continue to say “yes, we can help!”.
TKO has been a nonprofit for just over 12 years. We are Portland-based, but that is now changing and we are growing our geographic reach. Oregon State Parks has been a gateway for our growth, taking our strong partnerships with parks in the Portland/Gorge region and letting that trust spread to other parks. With strong relationships to precede us, stewardship growth can only happen through recruiting and training more volunteer leaders. The only reason we are able to start in at Silver Falls is because local leaders stepped up to the challenge and because of TKO’s strong relationships with park staff who are confident in our work. Help us impact even more trails in more State Parks, become a Legacy Builder today.
Urban trails are a cornerstone to nature access for urban and suburban residents, offering countless physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health benefits. TKO has been busy throughout the Portland Metro Area and beyond in 2023 ensuring that these trails can continue to safely connect communities with the outdoors!
Throughout 2023 TKO has been lucky to participate in some outstanding trail projects in the Willamette and Umpqua River Valleys. These projects, critical to maintaining and reopening trails, allowed volunteers to grow their trail construction skills in some of Oregon’s most beautiful natural areas!
Have you caught the “saw bug” yet? Join TKO on a logout and you just might! This draw to saw work, the itch to feel the saw interact with wood as you cut, captivates many a trail crew member after just one day pulling saw. Saw work is a critical aspect of trail stewardship, and it’s this feeling that TKO has worked to inspire in emerging sawyers across Oregon.
Trailkeepers of Oregon
P.O. Box 14814
Portland, OR 97293
(971) 206-4351
