What We Do
Providing opportunities for all to experience the Pacific Northwest Trail is central to our mission.
We created the Pacific Northwest Trail and advocated for its place in our National Trails System — the gold standard for long-distance trails in America. Today, we strive to build a better PNT and to improve access with trail information and outreach.
Trail Information
For over 40 years, the PNTA has been the primary source of information about the PNT. We improve access to this public resource by offering free trail maps and other information online and through community outreach. Providing information on permits, regulations, and Leave No Trace principles helps to protect the experience and to protect the trail for the enjoyment of future generations.
Advocacy
Decades of advocacy by the Pacific Northwest Trail Association earned the Pacific Northwest Trail a place in our National Trails System. In 2009, our efforts earned the PNT congressional designation as a National Scenic Trail—the gold standard among long-distance trails in America. Today, we are working to permanently protect the trail corridor of the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail.
Outreach
In 2017, the PNTA met with more than 3,000 outdoor enthusiasts. Presentations and outreach events inspired PNT users to explore the PNT and to get involved with trail stewardship in their communities. Twelve guided hikes along the trail revealed the hidden history of the PNT, and explored the diverse ecosystems along the mountain-to-sea route.
Grassroots advocacy by the Pacific Northwest Trail Association
created our trail community which spans the Northwest and the world.
Who We Are
The Pacific Northwest Trail Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection of the PNT.
Our trail community includes volunteers, trailside communities, and PNT users, like you, who work together to build a better trail and to protect it for generations to come.
Staff
Our small but dedicated team is made up of a diverse body of advocates working to protect and share the wonders of the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail. Many of our staff members actively volunteer as trail stewards and participate in the long-term planning for the future of the trail corridor.
PNTA Members
PNTA members include advocates from our trail side communities and long-distance trail enthusiasts the world over. For over forty years, our members helped to create the trail corridor and continue to play an active role in its protection. Their advocacy and financial support helps us to build a better PNT and allows us to do trail work where funding is not available.
Our Trail Community
For over 40 years our trail community has worked together to build a world-class mountain-to-sea route across the Northwest.
Trail Users
The 1200 mile Pacific Northwest Trail is a continuous, primarily non-motorized route of outstanding recreation opportunity. The trail is primarily used by hikers, backpackers, and equestrians, who enjoy it one day at a time, or as a complete end-to-end adventure. The PNT provides a world-class opportunity to experience the diversity of ecosystems and communities in the Northwestern United States.
Partner Organizations
The PNTA maintains tread all along its 1,200 mile path, but we don’t do it alone. We partner with volunteer organizations, like the Back Country Horsemen of America, trail maintenance organizations, and local land managers in the maintenance and protection of the Pacific Northwest Trail. In turn, the PNT benefits communities across its trail corridor, providing residents with opportunities for outdoor recreation and local businesses with economic opportunities.
Trailside Communities
Part of the experience of any trip on the PNT, historic western towns and vibrant coastal communities welcome PNT users from near and far. Sited on or near the trail corridor, these trailside communities support the PNT with local trail clubs, which play an important role in the maintenance of the PNT. Good samaritans and other volunteers aid long-distance hikers on their crown-to-coast adventures and contribute to the long-term management of the trail.