Wilderness Trail

Wilderness Trail Backpacking and adventure ministry. Wilderness Trail has seen that incredible growth can begin with first letting go.

Wilderness Trail believes that amazing things happen when you take people out of their comfort zone and place them in the beauty of God's creation. Our main programming takes place in the summer when we take groups of youth on 5-day backpacking journeys on the Appalachian Trail. Our central themes of servant leadership and being the body of Christ are lived out on the hike and here at our "base ca

mp" during each 7-day event. As we let go of the worries and thoughts of our daily lives we are then able to begin looking outward. As we lose ourselves in the care of our neighbor we see God in us!

We are still basking in the joy from the summer! Wilderness Trail is all about the community we build together. We want ...
08/31/2026

We are still basking in the joy from the summer! Wilderness Trail is all about the community we build together. We want to hear YOUR stories - what is way that WT has impacted your life? Drop a memory or a photo in the comments below!

Missing our beautiful views and YOU! Can’t wait to see you next summer!!
08/29/2026

Missing our beautiful views and YOU! Can’t wait to see you next summer!!

SUMMER 2026 STAFF!! What an awesome crew! Couldn’t have done it without you, thank YOU staff!! Comment your staff below!
07/25/2026

SUMMER 2026 STAFF!! What an awesome crew! Couldn’t have done it without you, thank YOU staff!! Comment your staff below!

EVENT 2!!! Waynesville week, so grateful for every hiker and volunteer that came to Property to make this happen! So exc...
07/25/2026

EVENT 2!!! Waynesville week, so grateful for every hiker and volunteer that came to Property to make this happen! So excited for next summer! THANK YOU!!

(Continued from previous post) Meet the new Wilderness Trail Executive Director, Jeremiah Stanton-Rich!After graduating ...
06/27/2026

(Continued from previous post)

Meet the new Wilderness Trail Executive Director, Jeremiah Stanton-Rich!

After graduating from Appalachian State University in 2016 with a degree in Sociology, Jeremiah spent almost a decade working with local non-profit Mountain Alliance helping high school students find adventure and service opportunities outside. In fall 2023 he returned to App State with the Office of Rural Promise where he currently works supporting students in their postsecondary dreams. While working at the university, he also completed a Master’s degree in Experiential and Outdoor Education at Western Carolina University.

After college, Jeremiah moved to Todd, NC to live in an intentional living community where he met Caitlin, his future partner. They have now been married for 6 years! They enjoy hiking and backpacking together with their dog Dougie, climbing, and paddling out on water.

Wilderness Trail has been a cornerstone in Jeremiah’s life since his first hike in 2006. As an awkward middle schooler, he struggled on blistered feet to complete his first hike with First United Methodist Church Waynesville and has been hooked ever since. Since then he has held many Wilderness Trail titles including hiker, trail blazer, staff, assistant director, and board member. Jeremiah has seen Wilderness Trail through a lot of Holy Grounds and little foxes over the last many years. He remains committed to the challenge of this new position and the opportunity to bring hikers and adults into God’s outdoor playground.

Hello Wilderness Trail Family,The Wilderness Trail Board is so grateful for all those who have stepped up in leadership ...
06/27/2026

Hello Wilderness Trail Family,

The Wilderness Trail Board is so grateful for all those who have stepped up in leadership roles as the ministry has been in transition with the absence of an Executive Director since the Fall of 2024.. We want to first thank First United Methodist Church of Waynesville for keeping the summer program, fundraising, communications, and finances of the ministry going through this time. The dedication of the church staff is truly appreciated; we want to give special thanks Anna Belle Lamar, Brooks Wilson, and a HUGE thank you to Kara Sither who led the ministry last summer! We would also like to thank the WT Director search committee who worked so well in the decision making in the leadership roles. Those members are: Sarah Blackburn, Pam Moore, Morgan Plemmons, and Rob Blackburn. We would like to thank all of the donors, youth directors, junior staff, and hikers for their continued support and commitment. Last but not least, thank you to the summer staff of 2025 and 2026 who have stepped up in so many ways during this transition!!!

We are so grateful for the Wilderness Trail Family!!!

We are so excited to announce that starting in August, Jeremiah Stanton-Rich will begin work as the new Executive Director!!

The following post is a bio of Jeremiah to introduce him to Wilderness Trail for those who have not had the pleasure of meeting him over the years!

Event 1 - that's a WRAP! THANK YOU to every hiker who made their way up to the Property this past week - we had a blast ...
06/27/2026

Event 1 - that's a WRAP! THANK YOU to every hiker who made their way up to the Property this past week - we had a blast kicking off our 2026 Summer with YOU! Thank you for trusting the process and playing in the rain. We can't wait to see you next year!!

Meet Anna Hodges! Anna is a returning hiking staff from Skyland United Methodist Church in Asheville, NC! She is majorin...
06/20/2026

Meet Anna Hodges! Anna is a returning hiking staff from Skyland United Methodist Church in Asheville, NC! She is majoring in Biology and loves Twizzlers, Arrested Development, Dots, and the movie Interstellar. She is looking forward to continuing to grow her faith while in the woods this summer! Welcome back, Anna!

Meet Cecilia Morgan! Cecilia is a first year staff from First United Methodist Church of Waynesville in Waynesville, NC....
06/20/2026

Meet Cecilia Morgan! Cecilia is a first year staff from First United Methodist Church of Waynesville in Waynesville, NC. She is double majoring in Human Biology & Political Science. She loves The Office, M&Ms, Nerds Clusters, Gilmore Girls, and Garden Salsa Sun Chips! She is excited to be at the Property and meet each group and to see God moving in our lives!

Meet Mario Montaigne Harlee! Mario is a first year staff from Street United Methodist Church in Winston Salem, NC. He i...
06/20/2026

Meet Mario Montaigne Harlee! Mario is a first year staff from Street United Methodist Church in Winston Salem, NC. He is majoring in Health and Physical Education and loves football and connecting with people. He is super excited to be a part of the staff this summer and to leave an influence on those around him! Welcome Mario!

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Trout Dale, VA

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+18287340355

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