Protecting our nation’s public lands is a collective effort. Stewarding these treasured spaces depends on collaborations between federal, state, and local governments, nonprofits, businesses, volunteer organizations, schools, and individual citizens and visitors.
Research has shown that these efforts are well worth our time and energy. Outdoor recreation has extensive mental and physical health benefits, from decreased anxiety and depression to improved heart and joint health and beyond. The power of unplugging and immersing yourself in nature truly can’t be overstated.
For these reasons and more, national parks – our country’s most popular public lands – continue to see an increase in visitor rates year over year. While this is great for the parks and the people, these growing crowds mean it’s more vital than ever that visitors have access to up-to-date information and alternative options prior to their adventures.
Seeing this trend towards potential overuse on popular trail systems, AllTrails took responsibility to help mitigate issues, creating a culture of trail stewardship for generations to come. From this sense of responsibility came the AllTrails Public Lands Program, a free resource for agencies and non-profit organizations that helps better inform visitors and improve the experience of both visitors and trail managers.
This fall, we partnered with the AllTrails Public Lands Program for a fundraising campaign to reach the community of people regularly recreating in the park. We offered free and discounted AllTrails+ memberships to anyone who made a donation in support of Shenandoah National Park.
Our timing with this partnership was intentional. October marks peak visitation for Shenandoah National Park, with leaf peepers and locals alike taking to the mountains for a taste of crisp fall in the air and crunchy leaves underfoot. This probable surge in visitation, compounded this year by storm damage to the Blue Ridge Parkway and other popular destinations, means that visitors will need to find alternate adventures to find parking and avoid crowded locations.
Hiker on Limberlost Trail. Photo credit: NPS
That’s where AllTrails comes in. AllTrails works closely with Shenandoah to ensure the accuracy of information on their trail systems and to encourage folks to find their way outside. They help hikers discover lesser-used paths and keep tips like Leave No Trace principles front and center.
Throughout our partnership with AllTrails, we’ve seen our mission to “protect and preserve Shenandoah National Park for all to enjoy” reflected back to us, both at an organizational and personal level. Cece Kirkwood, AllTrails Public Lands Program Manager, helping to lead this work, is actually a Virginia resident and shared this story with us about her connection to Shenandoah:
“My husband and I hiked Old Rag recently to celebrate our wedding anniversary. I remember the day started out a little humid and buggy (classic Virginia weather) and that the initial switchback-filled ascent was a little brutal. We both silently huffed our way up the trail, that was until we reached the first major scramble of the trail.
From there, we fell into a rhythm that perfectly represented our partnership. I’m on the shorter end of the world and needed several boosts to navigate the boulders and trickier sections of the trail. My husband never missed a beat in helping me, and we laughed and talked the entire time. It wasn’t until we reached the summit and sat down for a snack that I realized what a beautiful experience that was.
Spending our anniversary renewing our commitment to one another through a series of scrambles and literal leaps of faith across the trail was incredible. We navigated the trail easily and felt properly prepared with the help of AllTrails and their work with Shenandoah. We enjoyed every moment that Shenandoah offered and left the trail that day with a sense of renewed peace and commitment to one another.”
Cece’s experience on the park’s most popular trail (at least according to AllTrails) demonstrates the power of public lands to connect us to ourselves, the people around us, and the natural world.
Hikers on Old Rag. Photo credit: NPS
Cece and her husband on Old Rag Summit.
While our partnership with AllTrails will be long-lasting, this current campaign will wrap up on October 27th. If you’d like a discount on an AllTrails+ membership so you can easily find hidden-gem hikes during this busy season (with perks like downloadable maps, 3D views, and wrong turn alerts), make a donation at the link below.
Happy hiking!