American Hiking Society

The American Hiking Society is a Maryland-based non-profit dedicated to preserving trails, the areas that surround them and the hiking experience itself. It was co-founded in 1976 by Bill Kemsley, the founding editor of Backpacker (magazine). The charity obtained a 4-star rating on Charity Navigator in 2007^[1] and was one of the four original partners of Travelocity's Travel for Good program ^[4].

Programs

The American Hiking Society has three main avenues of action:

• Volunteerism and Outreach including Volunteer Vacations, which began in 1978 ^[5] to mobilize volunteers to work on trail maintenance, and National Trails Day, which is held the first Saturday every June to spread awareness and celebrate hiking.
• Policy and Advocacy: working with Congress to develop hiker-friendly legislation and various federal agencies on implementation.
• Trail grants and assistance: the Society provides grants to local organizations for building and maintaining trails, providing nearly $50,000 of funding in 2007 ^[6]. Also, this organization heads up the Alliance of Hiking Organizations, a network of hiking and trail clubs from all over the country.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Charity Navigator
2. ^ staff
3. ^ Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities
4. ^ Travel for Good
5. ^ Vacations blend public service, hiking
6. ^ Annual Report 2007

External links

• Official website