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1. getoutdoors Tomorrow for American Hiking Society's National Trails Day, a part of Great Outdoors Month!

Volunteer stewardship is a vital part of keeping our public lands maintained, safe, and accessible for visitors. The BLM often partners with local communities and nonprofit organizations - like americanhikingsociety - to carry out these important stewardship projects.

In May 2015, a group of volunteers backpacked 25 miles of the Lost Coast Trail in King Range National Conservation Area - a part of the BLM’s National Conservation Lands - to help repair and maintain the trail through a BLM and American Hiking Society partnership. Volunteers cleared brush from the sides of the trail, removed ocean trash from the beach, pulled invasive non-native plants, cleaned and dismantled campfire rings, and dismantled driftwood shacks that have been built along the trail.

King Range National Conservation Area, where mountains seem to thrust straight out of the surf, is known as California’s Lost Coast. Tide pools brim with crabs, anemones, and other curious creatures while sea lions cruise the waters and lay on the rocks offshore. The 25 miles of trail that the volunteers walked and maintained is challenging terrain as they had to traverse rocks and soft sand for the first half of the trip. The remainder of the hike climbed onto grassy marine terraces, which offered volunteers a welcome break for their feet and spectacular views of the rugged coastline.CLICK HERE for more information about similar volunteer opportunities with the BLM and American Hiking Society throughout the year.