It’s spring, and that means it’s the unofficial start of outdoor adventure season here in Oregon. Thousands of hikers, trail runners, and backpackers are getting out on the trails to bask in the beauty of the season–to watch the first turkey vultures and tree swallows return from their winter migrations, to see the maple, ash, and oak trees wearing their spring leaves, and to search for native wildflowers like columbines, irises, and bleeding hearts. Spring means that the colors feel brighter, the wind smells sweeter, and the sky is finally blue again. But spring also means something else–it means we have lots of work to do to make sure Oregon’s trails are safe, accessible, and ready for hiking season.
Next week marks the beginning of our Oregon Hikers Spring Fundraiser, which runs from May 4th through National Trails Day on June 6th, and this year your support is more important than ever. After huge funding cuts for public land agencies on the federal and state levels, Oregon’s trails are mostly maintained by volunteers and donors like you. In order to continue our work protecting Oregon’s trails, we need to raise $300,000 by June 6th. Can you help us reach our goal?
For the next five weeks, we’ll be hyping you up for hiking season and celebrating the hard work of TKO’s volunteers, staff, board, and donors by sharing some of our favorite hikes across the state:
Week One – Columbia River Gorge
Week Two – Oregon Coast
Week Three – Willamette Valley
Week Four – Urban Hikes in Oregon
Week Five – Mt. Hood and the West Cascades
If you can’t donate right now, there are other ways you can contribute, such as signing up for a trail party, sharing this blog post with a friend, or sharing our posts on Instagram and Facebook to help spread the word about the crucial work we’re doing to protect and restore Oregon’s hiking trails.
However you get involved, we want to thank you for making our work possible!
