National Trails Day is sponsored by the American Hiking Society, with support from manufacturers of outdoor clothing and gear including Columbia, REI and Merrell, plus from U.S. govenment agencies including the National Park Service and the Forest Service.
The goal is to get us outdoors to learn about and celebrate outdoor trails via educational exhibits, trail dedications, gear demonstrations, instructional workshops and volunteer trail work projects.
More than 1500 events are scheduled throughout the USA for National Trail Day, including trail maintenance, hiking, biking, paddling, horseback riding, bird watching, running and trail celebrations.
The North Face is sponsoring a contest for kids for National Trails Day. It’s a coloring book contest for kids up to age 12 — download and print a PDF file of a family enjoying a day outdoors. Entries must be postmarked by August 7, 2010.
So go take a hike. Or a paddle. Or a bike. And remember to pack sunscreen and a light windbreaker or rain jacket, just in case the weather changes.
What do you think? We value your comments and love hearing from you.