Duluth Foot Trails Alliance

10/05/2026

Get to Know Your Board Member: Diane Podgornik
Diane is our current board chair, multi-business owner, and lifelong lover of the outdoors whose favorite activity is to hike the trails. She knew she wanted to be apart of DuFTA as soon as she was introduced to it at the Chester Fall Fest.
Occupation: Farmer, Quilt Designer, retired Science Teacher
Years on board: 2
Favorite Trail: Of all time is Green Stone Ridge on Isle Royale. In the Duluth area I love the hiking and ski trails at Magney
What’s your personal history with Duluth’s trail system? I spend more time on the trails in Duluth during the winter while cross-country skiing. I have been skiing the Duluth trails since I was 16 and learned how to ski. Now, I still ski as much as possible, but have been working on hiking all of the trails in Duluth. It will take years.
What’s DuFTAs biggest priority or project right now? Our biggest priority is trail maintenance. A lot of grass and brush grow up in a summer and we like to help keep the trails in good condition. We have a small crew but are looking for more help all the time. It feels great to get out and make a difference.
Is there a trail or connection you’re especially excited to see built or improved? We would like to work on the trails at Quarry Park and make them easier to follow.
What’s the hardest part of maintaining/expanding trails in a city like Duluth (terrain, funding, weather)? There are miles of trails and if everyone helped a little on the trails they use, it would make a huge difference.
What’s a moment that made the work feel worth it? We put on the Trail Running Film Fest each April. It is a lot of work to get the funding and the event up and going. We have great sponsors that help each year. When I see the community come to the event and enjoy themselves, and leave inspired, I know that it is all worth it.

09/23/2026

Still smiling after an incredible and gorgeous solstice celebration on the Hartley trails! Thank you to all who came to adventure with us and to Duluth XC Ski Club and COGGS for the hosting teamwork! Stay tuned for future events.

09/18/2026

Sharing this out in hopes that some of our trail lovers can help make this another awesome year! We have an event linked where you can sign up to volunteer with DuFta, but there are a ton of other really great opportunities to help. Click the link and see if a time or task works for you.

Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. Select a volunteer position to sign up for. We may move you around if possible to ensure our volunteer positions are covered. Please select more than one volunteer spot of you would like to. If you can work more than one shi...

09/08/2026

Jesse is one of DuFTA's founding members — our first board chair and current Trail Work Coordinator!

Occupation: I'm currently a paraprofessional at East High School. I retired from UMD in 2021, where I worked in water science and extension.

Time on board: 4 years

Favorite Trail: Depends on the season! The Mission Creek section of the S*T is always amazing, though.

Where'd you grow up, and how does that compare to Duluth?: I grew up in a small town in southern Minnesota. We lived outside of town, so I was used to wide open spaces — mostly fields of corn or beans, though. Trails weren't really a thing, other than a short path along a lake, or our two-mile paved bike path in town. Coming to Duluth for college was a revelation. Trails could take you places, and you could spend hours on them. It was amazing! Every moment I could, I spent exploring Chester, Bagley, Hartley, and Lester Park trails. I think it's one of the reasons trails are so important to me — I realized how much impact they could have on my life, not only physically with the exercise, but mentally. To this day, I always come back from a hike or trail run feeling better than when I started. I want everyone to be able to experience that same benefit.

08/24/2026

Thank you so much to PBS North for highlighting our organization and some of the work we've done this summer with trail maintenance.

Not yet a member? Check out our $10 membership to help support there efforts: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/duluth-foot-trails-alliance-memberships--2025

08/15/2026

The Duluth Foot Trails Alliance has cleared ALL of the foot trails at Hawk Ridge, as of August 12! DuFTA took on maintenance of these hiking trails in 2023 in partnership with the Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory. The trails needed a lot of work initially, and we've been increasing the trails cleared each year. This year, for the first time, we've managed to clear all of the trails. We finished rehabilitating the Talus Trail earlier this summer, and on August 12, managed to clear the Pine Woods and Plantation Trails for the first time, which had many downed trees. With the start of the hawk migration, it's the perfect time to go explore these trails!

We have some opportunities coming up in the fall for more help with trail maintenance, a critical piece of volunteer work with our organization. Stay tuned to our page for more information in the coming months!

08/03/2026

Trail helpers needed!! We have two opportunities coming up to join these folks to put some love into our trails! Aug 5th and Aug 12th trail work dates still need some helpers. Head over to our website or page "events" for more details and to sign up!

06/29/2026

Reminders!

Happy Monday! This week we have TWO more opportunities to help put some love into our trails. Tomorrow, June 30, and Wednesday, July 1! Both opportunities are in the evenings and require no experience. Check out the events section of our  page for sign-up links!

06/24/2026

Trail Helpers needed!! Tonight is a Superior Hiking Trail Assn. work tonight and we are in need of volunteers. No training or background required, we will provide equipment and help you learn how to take care of these trails so they stay beautiful and accessible for years to come. Head over to the S*T website or check out the events tab for more details. If you can't make tonight, there are other opportunities ahead so stay tuned!!