By Kacee Saturay, Digital Marketing & Donor Stewardship Manager
In 2023, Washington’s National Park Fund (WNPF) hosted a virtual field trip celebrating the power of collaboration in preserving and maintaining Mount Rainier National Park’s trails. Through a partnership between WNPF, Mount Rainier, and Washington Trails Association (WTA), beloved trails are cared for each year, ensuring their beauty and accessibility for generations to come. This virtual field trip explored the work behind the scenes, highlighting the importance of stewardship and the collective effort that keeps Mount Rainier’s trails thriving.
As James Montgomery, the park’s Trails Field Supervisor, reminded us: “At the end of the day, ‘volunteer’ doesn’t mean free.” Every hour of service, every dollar donated, and every hand helping on the trail makes a difference in preserving Mount Rainier’s legacy.
Through an agreement with Mount Rainier, WTA’s work in the park is supported in part by funds raised by WNPF from individuals, businesses, and charitable foundations. Having this three-part partnership, the park’s beloved trails get the attention, maintenance, and funding that they deserves.
WTA has been a key player in the park’s trail maintenance since 1998, organizing over 800 trail maintenance events and logging more than 88,000 volunteer hours. Jay Tarife, Olympic and South Puget Sound Field Manager at WTA, highlighted the history of this commitment, which includes work on iconic trails such as the Wonderland Trail, Skyline Trail, Naches Peak Loop, and Glacier Basin.
James also highlighted at the beginning of the field trip that since 2014, WNPF donors have contributed over $709,000 specifically for trail work at Mount Rainier, helping to reroute, regrade, sustain, and improve beloved trails. With over 1.6 million visitors to the park in 2023 alone, these trails need as much support as possible to keep up with increasing visitor use.
In 2024, donated funds supported a WTA crew leader position and covered the cost of supplies like a radio, maintenance gear, and more. Between June and October, volunteers and the crew lead spent weekends working at the Carbon River/Mowich Lake area, focusing efforts on the Paul Peak Trail, West Boundary Trail, and a portion of the Wonderland Trail. Work on the Wonderland and West Boundary Trails will continue throughout summer 2025, thanks in part to a grant from Athletic Brewing Company’s Two for the Trails grant program.
After installing a new boardwalk, rerouting 800 linear feet of trail, and fixing drainage issues, this work should reduce annual maintenance costs for this heavily visited area of the park for the next 20-30 years. Talk about impact!
Recognizing the importance of fostering the next generation of trail stewards, WTA has engaged youth trail crews at Mount Rainier since 2008. Kaci Darsow oversees WTA’s youth programs and shared that the youth program in Mount Rainier alone has totaled 20 youth volunteer vacations and 9,510 volunteer hours.
These programs provide meaningful opportunities for young volunteers, helping to strengthen the community of land stewards. They also help ensure the park’s trails are safe and well-maintained, so Mount Rainier can continue to provide transformative outdoors experiences for visitors. WNPF is thrilled to be able to fund the important work of youth crews in the summer of 2025 thanks to the generous support of the Names Family Foundation.
Mount Rainier National Park wouldn’t be able to provide the level of trail maintenance without the collective efforts of WNPF, WTA, and the hundreds of volunteers who give their time each year. By getting our boots dirty, raising critical funds, and organizing volunteers, this partnership ensures that the park’s trails remain a source of adventure, inspiration, and connection for all who visit.
The legacy of this partnership is not just in the miles of well-maintained trails—it’s in the communities it strengthens, the experiences it fosters, and the future it builds for generations.
Washington’s National Park Fund is the official philanthropic partner to Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks. Donations fund scientific research, youth and family experiences, and projects that will keep these parks strong and vital now and forever, for everyone. Join us in making an impact today.
Cover photo of a WTA volunteer, courtesy of Jack Hsu.
Editor’s Note: This article also appeared in National Parks Traveler.