Maintaining the 1,200 mile trail system is a big job and its season is short. It takes dedicated teams of professional, student, and volunteer crews, coordinated by the PNTA, to prepare the trail for visitors each summer.
Volunteer Guide 2023

Every year hundreds of people like you volunteer to keep the PNT in shape
That work wouldn’t be possible without volunteers like you! Each season PNTA hosts dozens of events that range from front country projects that last only a few hours, to week-long backpacking trips into remote wilderness areas.
Whether you’re new to trail work or a seasoned volunteer, you’re invited! Our staff will be with you and your crew every step of the way to ensure you have fun and stay safe while making meaningful contributions to the trail.
Ways to Get Involved

Trail Work Parties
2 or more hours (plus travel time)
Volunteer trail work parties offer something for everyone. These events are ideal for new volunteers or those who are able to help out for one day or less. Most projects are located in frontcountry work sites within a short drive from a trailside community.

Drop-in Work Parties
2 or more hours (plus travel time)
Drop-in work parties give experienced volunteers an opportunity to work alongside PNTA Performance Trail Crews on intermediate or difficult projects. These work parties are usually time-flexible for volunteers, who can arrange to join our crews for only a few hours, or to camp out and volunteer for a few days.

Backcountry Trips
2 or more days (plus travel time)
These overnight trail work parties provide opportunities for backcountry camping on the trail for one or more nights. Volunteers will need backpacking skills and equipment, and be able to hike long distances to help us service hard-to-reach parts of the trail in more remote backcountry areas.
The North Cascades Region
The PNT climbs to dramatic vistas as it works against the grain of the steep Cascade Mountains. Here, the trail spans the rainshadow of the Cascades, wending across the Cascade Crest, from the dry Pasayten Wilderness, to the lush temperate rainforests west of the massive range.
Known to some as the “American Alps,” a seemingly endless horizon of majestic peaks define this breathtaking landscape. At lower elevations, the trail explores ancient forests along river valleys. At higher altitudes, heather meadows surround postcard perfect alpine lakes.
Portions of the Pacific Northwest Trail remain snowbound for most of the year in this region. Higher elevations in the North Cascades are prone to world-record setting snowfall.
How You Can Help
In temperate rainforests, like those found in the Cascades, the PNT needs annual maintenance to stay protected from nature’s toll. One of the biggest priorities in this area is logging out hundreds of trees that fall across the PNT each year.
Protecting our natural resources is another important aspect of our work in this region. Building crossing structures can spare fragile alpine meadows from visitor use impacts. Maintaining the trail’s tread and drainage features protects the PNT from heavy rain and snowmelt which can damage the trail bed and cause erosion that can impact sensitive streams and other riparian habitat.
With volunteers’ help, we can take advantage of the short weather-window to keep this majestic section of the Pacific Northwest Trail open and safe.
Volunteer to help clear the Baker Lake Trail. Winter storms have brought down dozens of trees across the trail that follows the east side of Baker Lake on the Mt. Baker- Snoqualmie National Forest. Our experienced Crew Leaders will work with volunteers to continue to reopen this popular year-round section of PNT.
The project is rated easy but will have options for all abilities. There may be opportunities to use crosscut saws, go on a scouting hike while developing “trail eyes,” or do basic tread and drainage maintenance if needed but the main focus will be on removing logs and brush from the trail corridor.
Participants will meet at the Baker Lake Trailhead work north and must have a daypack, lunch and water.
This event is great for both seasoned trail stewards and folks with no trail work experience!
For some volunteers, log-out projects with scenic vistas are as good as it gets! At this event, volunteers will team up with a PNTA crew leader to continue clearing the Baker Lake Trail of downed trees. Crew leaders and other Region 6 USFS Certified Sawyers will use chainsaws to buck trees and volunteers will “swamp” by removing cut branches and logs from the trail. Volunteers may also have the chance to use crosscut saws, hand saws and hand tools to clear fallen trees and branches from the PNT. For folks interested in learning about other aspects of trails work, we may have opportunities to do tread work at this trail work party.
Camping is not included with this event but may be available at several campgrounds along the cool shores of Baker Lake, including the Park Creek Campground near the Baker Lake Trailhead.
North Cascades Region Events
Event | Date/s | Event Type/s | Project | Hike Length | Experience |
4-22 Baker Lake Trail Logout | April 22 | Trail Work Party | Log-Out | 1-3 miles | Beginners Welcome |
5-6 Baker Lake Trail Logout | May 6 | Trail Work Party | Log-Out | 3-6 miles | Beginners Welcome |
WMAES Volunteer Event | May 15 -19 | Private Group Event | |||
BOALPS Volunteer Event | June 3 | Private Group Event | |||
BOALPS Volunteer Event | June 10 | Private Group Event | |||
7-22 Park Butte Resupply Trip | July 22 | Pack Support Trip | Resupply | 8 miles | Beginners Welcome |
Pasayten Wilderness Region
With 150 miles between resupply points in Oroville and Ross Lake, the Pasayten Wilderness is the longest roadless section of the Pacific Northwest Trail. For 95 unforgettable miles, the PNT traverses the untrammeled heart of the designated wilderness area. The outstanding scenery and immersive experience it provides places the Pasayten Wilderness near the top of every backpacker’s life list.
Yet, the qualities that make this part of the PNT so special also make it a real adventure for volunteers and trail crews to access and work in.
Many worksites in this remote, roadless area take one full day of hiking to reach. This makes them best suited for multi-day backcountry trip volunteer events. These work parties are ideal for volunteers with prior backpacking experience that enjoy hiking long distances and camping out on the trail with their crew.
How You Can Help
Every season, there is a lot of work to do in the Pasayten Wilderness and only a short time to get the job done.
Logout — The first priority is logging out hundreds of trees that fall across the PNT each year. Volunteers and Performance Trail Crews will spend the summer clearing the trail the old fashioned way using crosscut saws and other muscle-powered hand tools as wilderness regulations require.
Pack Support — Whether they’re carrying a backpack or leading a pack string of stock animals, pack support volunteers help move tools and supplies in and out of our backcountry “spike camps” so crews can direct more of their energy towards trail work.
With your help, we can make the most of our short season in this special place and keep the Pacific Northwest Trail open for everyone to enjoy.
For some volunteers, using crosscut saws and camping out in the Pasayten Wilderness with a seasoned trail crew is as good as it gets!
On this backcountry trip our PNTA Performance Crew will backpack out to “Lone Wolf Camp” on Long Draw TR 340, an approximate 5.6 mile trek from Goodneough Trailhead that takes about four hours on foot.
(For other ways to help, see also: Pack Support.)
From there we’ll continue working west on the PNT Boundary TR 533. With your help we can meet our goal for this hitch: to clear a path to the foot of Haig Mountain, ensuring a pack string loaded with gear and supplies can reach our camp the following week, when we’ll continue maintaining the PNT across the Wilderness.
Volunteers will have the opportunity to camp out with the crew. They’ll take turns using a big crosscut saw to cut logs, and smaller hand saws and loppers to cut saplings and brush from the trail. PNTA sawyers can also use volunteer “swampers” to help remove freshly cut branches and logs from the trail.
Please note, this is a physically challenging trip in a rugged and remote wilderness area. Previous backpacking experience is highly recommended, but no trail crew experience is necessary. The PNTA provides tools, personal protective equipment, and training.
The mountains are calling and we must go! Volunteer to provide crucial pack support to a PNTA trail crew working to log-out trails in the Eastern Pasayten Wilderness.
On Friday morning a PNTA trail crew will be ready to relocate from their basecamp at Goodenough Park trailhead, to “Lone Wolf” spike camp on Long Draw TR 340. This 5.6 mile hike takes about 4 hours on foot. Helping the crew move to a backcountry camp will allow them to work from Horseshoe Basin to Haig Mountain, clearing an additional five miles of the PNT trail in the Wilderness.
If backcountry equestrians are interested in volunteering for this trip, we could accomplish our goals with 3–4 stock animals. We need to haul in about 435 pounds of gear and supplies. (We won’t require pack out support for this trip, as we plan to return the following week and continue clearing the trail deeper into the Wilderness.)
If equestrians aren’t available, we’ll lighten up our gear and make any necessary adjustments to get the job done with two-legged volunteers. 5–10 volunteer backpackers will be needed to help the crew carry in food supplies, tools and gear.
Pack support volunteers are welcome to arrive at our basecamp on Thursday evening. The PNTA can provide you with backpacks, and you can choose how much weight you or your stock are comfortable carrying.
Please bring your essential daypack items, and backpacking gear if you plan to make this a multi-day trip. See Resources (below) for Frequently Asked Questions and packing recommendations.
The mountains are calling and we must go! Volunteer to provide crucial pack support to a PNTA trail crew working in the Eastern Pasayten Wilderness.
On Tuesday morning a PNTA trail crew will need volunteers to help pack in gear and supplies from the Goodenough Trailhead to the “Fireplace” backcountry camp on the Boundary TR 533, at the foot of Haig Mountain. This 10.5 mile trip takes about 7 hours to hike, one way.
(See also: Pack Out Support, Mon July 24th)
If backcountry equestrians are interested in volunteering for this trip, we could accomplish our goals with 5-6 stock animals. We need to haul in about 650 pounds of gear and supplies. (Some tools and gear will be picked up along the way at “Lone Wolf” camp in Long Draw.)
If equestrians aren’t available, we’ll lighten up our gear and make any necessary adjustments to get the job done with two-legged volunteers. 10-15 volunteer backpackers will be needed to help the crew carry in food supplies, tools and gear.
Pack support volunteers are welcome to arrive at basecamp on Monday evening. Volunteers may also want to camp overnight in the backcountry on Tuesday, before completing the trek back to the trailhead on Wednesday.
The PNTA can provide you with backpacks, and you decide how much weight you or your stock are comfortable carrying.
Please bring your essential daypack items, as well as your backpacking gear if you plan to make this a multi-day trip. See Resources (below) for Frequently Asked Questions and packing recommendations.
Pasayten Wilderness Events
Event | Date/s | Event Type/s | Project | Hike Length | Experience |
East Pasayten Wilderness: Goodenough Park to Haig Mountain — Log Out and Maintenance | July 6 -10 | Backcountry Trip | Log-Out | 6-12 miles | Experience Recommended |
East Pasayten Wilderness — Pack Support | July 7 | Pack Support | Pack support | 11 miles | Beginners Welcome |
East Pasayten Wilderness: Horseshoe Basin to Teapot Dome — Log Out and Maintenance | July 18 -25 | Backcountry Trip | Log-Out | 6-12 miles | Experience Recommended |
East Pasayten Wilderness — Pack In Support | July 18 | Pack Support | Pack support | 11 miles | Beginners Welcome |
East Pasayten Wilderness — Pack Out Support | July 23 -24 | Pack Support | Pack support | 11 miles | Beginners Welcome |