Keystone Trails Association has once again teamed up with DCNR to offer nearly 100 organized hikes throughout Pennsylvania during Pennsylvania Hiking Week. This year's Pennsylvania Hiking Week will run from Saturday, May 24, 2014 through Sunday, June 1, 2014.
To reach our goal of offering 100 hikes, we need your help! This is a great opportunity to introduce your local hiking/ maintaining club – and your favorite trail -- to novice as well as experienced hikers in your area. In an era of shrinking membership organizations, and volunteer crews struggling to attract and retain new blood, Pennsylvania Hiking Week provides helps reduce the barriers to participation for people not currently engaged in the Pennsylvania hiking community. By having your club lead one or more hikes during this week-long event, you will help bring exposure to your organization and to Keystone Trails Association. In addition, you will strengthen the broader hiking community, and add to public awareness of the benefits of hiking.
Most hikes will be on the two weekends of the event, but several weekday and evening hikes also are typically offered. Special hikes may include night hikes, wildflower walks, hikes for people with disabilities, birding hikes, pet walks, family-friendly hikes, geology walks and much more. Most hikes will take place in state parks and state forests, with some hikes scheduled on the Appalachian Trail, in Allegheny National Forest, and in city and community parks. If you already have a hike or two scheduled between May 24 and June 1, feel free to add them to the calendar – they don’t need to be specifically for PA Hiking Week, if you are comfortable opening up those specific hikes to non-club members.
You are now able to add your local hikes to the 2014 Pennsylvania Hiking Week Schedule, on DCNR’s website. To schedule a guided hike, follow these steps:
1. Quickly create a free account (if you don’t have one from prior years) on www.explorepatrails.com. You must be logged in to submit an event.
2. Visit www.explorepatrails.com/hikingweek.aspx and click on “Submit a Hiking Week Event.” Be sure to enter hikes under the “PA Hiking Week” tab.
3. When you enter hike descriptions, please include all details (meeting place/directions, what to bring, specific instructions, etc). This information will show up in the event description.
4. It takes up to 3 days for DCNR to review, approve, and list submissions on the website. Please be patient, and check back later to make sure it is listed.
If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. Thanks for helping make this the best Hiking Week ever!