Trailkeepers of Oregon

05/19/2026

Did you know that Oregon’s hiking trails are cared for mainly by volunteers?

That’s right–volunteers are the ones out there creating new trails, repairing trails after storms, and adding things like bridges, stairs, and new signage to make trails safer and more accessible. Without the time and dedication of volunteers, many of Oregon’s hiking trails would be forced to close.

At TKO, our mission is to build, maintain, and advocate for Oregon’s hiking trails. In 2025 alone, our team of over 3,580 volunteers helped improve over 567,272 feet of trails throughout Oregon. Now we need your help to keep going in 2026 and beyond. We’re currently hosting our annual spring fundraiser, and we need to raise $300,000 by the time it ends on June 6th. Are you able to donate to support trails?

➡️ Donate at tr.ee/OHdonate

There’s no better time to give to TKO, because our generous sponsors have agreed to match the first $150,000 of gifts. This is huge! If you’re able to, please help us continue our work caring for Oregon’s trails by donating to our spring fundraiser. And, if you can’t give, you can still help by commenting, liking, and sharing this post to help spread the word. We can’t do this without you!

05/19/2026

We want to give a special shoutout to our Keeper Level sponsor, Ninkasi Brewing, for supporting TKO’s Oregon Hikers Spring Fundraiser!

Back in 2005, two friends were a couple pints deep in a Eugene beer bar—and something bigger started brewing. A year later, they founded their own brewery called Ninkasi, named after the Sumerian goddess of fermentation. Today, Ninkasi is the 33rd largest craft brewery in the U.S., and they maintain a fierce sense of independence and a dedication to community involvement.

Learn more at ninkasibrewing.com!

05/19/2026

Join us this Friday!

05/18/2026

Join Cape Perpetua Collaborative, Trailkeepers of Oregon, and Carlton Observatory at Evergreen for the inaugural Tidepools to Trails to Telescopes!

Building on the success of our beloved Tidepools to Trails program, we are thrilled to partner with Carlton Observatory to bring you an expanded one-of-a-kind day that connects land, sea, and sky stewardship on the Oregon Coast.

🐚Tidepools to Trails to Telescopes🐚
Date: Friday, May 22nd
Time: 11am to 5:30pm
Location: Yachats State Recreation Area, 429 Ocean View Drive

🔗RSVP here: https://trailkeepersoforegon.org/event/tidepools-to-trails-to-telescopes-central-coast

Start your morning exploring the rocky intertidal zones of the Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve with an expert field guide, then gather together for local snacks and a solar scope session with Carlton Observatory, a unique chance to safely observe the sun in stunning detail. Next, head into the forest for a trail party, where you’ll help maintain local trails with a TKO crew leader. As the evening approaches, stay for a guided stargazing experience with Carlton Observatory telescopes.

Great company and the chance to give back to one of Oregon’s most beloved coastal landscapes make this an experience not to miss.

➡️ Timeline of the Day
Tidepools: 11am – 1pm
Telescope & Snacks: 1pm – 2pm
Trail Party: 2:30pm – 5:30pm
Optional Evening Stargazing: 8:45pm – 10pm

05/18/2026

It’s the third week of our Oregon Hikers Spring Fundraiser, and we’re sharing some of our favorite hikes in the Willamette Valley!

The Willamette Valley is a vast region made up of 5,308 square miles of forests, farmland, riparian areas, cities, suburbs, and more. But many of the natural areas throughout the Valley are at risk. As our summers grow hotter and dryer in the wake of climate change, wildfires are becoming not only more frequent, but also more intense. One example of this is the 2020 wildfires. Many areas are still recovering, including beloved hiking spots like Opal Creek, Salmon Falls, Silver Falls, and the Clackamas River Trail. TKO trail crews have been stepping in to repair and update trails that were damaged in the fires, and some of them, like Salmon Falls County Park, are just about ready to reopen for the first time in six years.

Our Spring Fundraiser is a celebration of the joy of hiking, but it’s also a request for your support. In order to keep caring for Oregon’s trails, we need to raise $300,000 by June 6th. Are you able to give today? Thanks to our generous sponsors, every dollar you give to TKO during our fundraiser will be matched. You can give at tr.ee/OHDonate.

In the years ahead, global average temperatures are expected to rise, and drier, hotter summers are going to be the new normal. With your help, we can help beloved hiking spots rebound after damage from wildfires, as well as damage from other weather events like snowstorms, floods, and windstorms. Just in 2025 alone, TKO improved 567,272 feet of trails, and that number will likely be a lot higher in the years to come. That’s why we need your help! So far, we’ve made it to $30,000, but there’s still a ways to go until we reach our goal of $300,000. Please give today at tr.ee/OHDonate.

Now back to the Willamette Valley! The Willamette Valley is home to a variety of tree species, many of which you might encounter on hikes this spring. Here are a few to look for:

Slide 1: Garry oak (Quercus garryana)
📷 Photo credit: Tom Kloster

Slide 2: Black cottonwood (Populus balsamifera)
📷 Photo credit: Francesca Varela

Slide 3: Madrone (Arbutus menziesii)
📷 Photo credit: Francesca Varela

Slide 4: Pacific dogwood (Cornus nuttalli)
📷 Photo credit: Nelson Kline

Slide 6: Cascara (Rhamnus purshiana)
📷 Photo credit: Tom Kloster

Slide 7: Willamette Valley ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa)
📷 Photo credit: Francesca Varela

📷 Cover photo: Tom Kloster

05/15/2026

We interviewed TKO Crew Leader and board member Scott Borg about how he got started with TKO and why he thinks the work is so important. Read the full interview at trailkeepersoforegon.org/spring26!

“Recreational trails represent an opportunity to learn something new, to see other perspectives, to meet people,” Scott said. “And maintaining the trails and ensuring there’s a reasonably maintained network of trails is, I think, a great service to society. Without volunteer help, a lot of the trails can’t be maintained.”

05/15/2026

Thank you, KGW-TV, for helping us spread the word that trails are for everyone!

Last week, KGW News stopped by the Mt. Hood National Forest to film TKO’s three-day women’s chainsaw certification course, held in partnership with The Nature Conservancy in Oregon and Cascade Volunteers. KGW interviewed TKO’s Saw Program Manager, Vito Perrone, and Northwest Trail Alliance’s Trail Stewardship Director, Nancy Stone, as well as the awesome participants from Women Who Explore, Northwest Trail Alliance Trail Sisters, and The Nature Conservancy who took part in the training.

A great quote from Nancy: “The best way to embrace this is to get involved. You’re working next to people who share a passion, who share something in common, that’s where you can start building community. If that’s not an option for you, support these nonprofits.”

Want to help TKO host more trainings like this? There’s no better time to give back! We’re almost halfway through our Oregon Hikers Spring Fundraiser, and our sponsors have agreed to match the first $150,000 of donations until our fundraiser ends on June 6th! Your gift will help TKO plan more events like this, bringing the community together and empowering folks to learn new skills, gain confidence, and give back to trails. Give today at tr.ee/OHDonate!

https://www.kgw.com/video/news/former-workers-sue-spirit-airlines-shutdown/283-72cd0056-2bb5-4c9c-9794-f82f2079634f

Organized by Trail Keepers of Oregon, this "saw school" provides skills and certifications for volunteers and professionals interested in trail maintenance.

05/14/2026

TKO Crew Leader Neil Cadsawan sat down with us to talk about what it means to be a Trailkeeper.

“When we see hikers on the trail it’s like, ‘Hey, love that you’re out here, that’s great. And while you’re out here? Here’s what you can do to help keep this up. Enjoy it, be out here, go hiking, go backpacking, see what there is to see, and at the same time, here’s how you can be responsible while you’re out here so that we can maintain these amazing sights and amazing resources for future generations,'" Neil said. "I feel a duty and a responsibility to nurture that, because I enjoy it, and I want other people to enjoy it, and I want my kids to enjoy it.”

Read the rest of our interview with Neil at https://trailkeepersoforegon.org/spring26

05/14/2026

Who here enjoys hiking on the Oregon Coast? 🙋 We certainly do! The coast has so much to offer–sandy shorelines; sweeping dunescapes; basalt cliffsides; elk-frequented meadows; temperate rainforests; sprawling estuaries. But hiking on the Coast has its challenges. Frequent storms cause a lot of trail damage, including fallen trees/branches, flooding, and erosion. Without regular maintenance from volunteer trail crews, many trails on the Coast would be out of commission.

Government budget cuts mean it’s up to volunteer groups like TKO to act as trail stewards and to protect these trails for generations to come. And we need your help to keep going! Thanks to our generous sponsors, every dollar you donate between now and the last day of our Oregon Hikers Spring Fundraiser on June 6th will be doubled. So far we’ve made it to $21,960, but we still have a long way to go before making it to our $300,000 goal. There’s no better time to show your support for TKO and for trails. You can donate at tr.ee/OHDonate.

Now, back to hiking! Here’s a look at the Oregon Coast trails we’re celebrating this week:

➡️ Short Beach
Region: North Coast

This 1,000-yard beach is mostly rocks and gravel instead of sand, which is why it’s known as a cobbled beach. That’s part of what makes it so interesting–geology enthusiasts and rockhounders will be delighted to find plenty of agates, jasper, and zeolites mixed in among the rocks, and to see a huge offshore sea stack that forms part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge.

Fun fact: the 120 box steps you take to get down to the beach were crafted by TKO volunteers in 2025!

Read the Short Beach guide at https://www.oregonhikers.org/field_guide/Short_Beach_Hike

📷 Chuck Lewis

➡️ God’s Thumb
Region: Central Coast

God’s Thumb is a huge, vaguely thumb-shaped basalt rock formation jutting out above the ocean. The hike to get there is just as fun as seeing The Thumb itself! You’ll walk through a community open space called The Knoll, where you might see elk hanging out in the grass, and all the while you’ll have amazing views of the ocean and nearby estuaries. But be cautious, because this area is known for heavy wind and some steep drop-offs.

Read the God’s Thumb guide at https://www.oregonhikers.org/field_guide/the_thumb_via_the_knoll_loop_hike

📷 Wikimedia

➡️ Golden and Silver Falls
Region: South Coast

Golden and Silver Falls are about 45 minutes inland from Coos Bay, tucked in a pocket of temperate rainforest. It’s kind of like two hikes in one, because you have the option of taking two separate but easy trails to each of the falls, or taking one slightly more challenging trail that connects the two. Located near the famous Elliot State Forest (one of the largest remaining stands of old-growth forest in the Coast Range), you’ll find remnants of old-growth at Golden and Silver Falls, like huge, ancient Douglas firs, and fallen trees that have transformed into nurse logs for tiny huckleberry starts.

Fun fact: Part of the trail is made up of an old wagon road that was decommissioned in the 1950s!

Read the Golden and Silver Falls guide at https://www.oregonhikers.org/field_guide/Golden_and_Silver_Falls_Hike

📷 Trevor Bradford

➡️ Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor
Region: South Coast

Home to famous offshore rock formations like Natural Bridges, the Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor will take you to the beach, to the forest, and to rugged, sweeping cliffsides with views that go on for miles. You’ll hike through spruce forests, catching glimpses of unbelievable ocean views around every corner, and you’ll wander through meadows, stepping gently around spring wildflowers like the coast iris, relishing the freshness of the wind blowing through your hair, and the warmth of the sun on your face.

Fun fact: TKO crews are currently doing trailwork at Samuel H. Boardman! You can join a Trail Party by going to the events calendar on our website (link in bio!).

Read the Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor guide at https://www.oregonhikers.org/field_guide/Samuel_Boardman:_North_Island_to_Arch_Rock_Hike

📷 Trevor Bradford

📷 Cover photo: Francesca Varela

05/13/2026

🙌

05/13/2026

We want to give a special shoutout to our Keeper Level sponsor, Daybreak Racing, for supporting TKO’s Oregon Hikers Spring Fundraiser!

Daybreak Racing hosts regional running events in spectacular landscapes throughout the PNW, including challenging and original courses at the Siuslaw Dunes, the Tillamook Burn, the Perpetua Coast, and more. The team at Daybreak is committed to standing up for these landscapes and the Oregon trail running community, and they show up year after year to give back to trails.

Learn more at daybreakracing.com!