Trailhead Ambassadors
Trailhead Ambassadors are part of a program designed to equip trail visitors with information needed for a safe, informed, and positive experience when using trails in the region. This program formed to ensure long term use and sustainable treatment of our public lands, specifically trails.
Volunteer Trailhead Ambassadors will serve as a welcoming entity at popular trailheads to answer trail and trailhead related questions, promote responsible hiker ethics like Leave No Trace, and collect trail use information for agencies and nonprofits.
Want to become a Trailhead Ambassador? Learn more below and then complete this interest form to get started!
Mission
Trailhead Ambassadors inspire visitors to protect public lands through learning and teaching stewardship behaviors while recreating on trails.
Vision
Trailhead Ambassadors aim to inspire the next generation of stewards for our public lands. By empowerment through education, the outdoor community will take an active and intentional role in caring for our shared lands in order to ensure these treasured landscapes can continue to be experienced by all.
Formed by a partnership of land managers, nonprofits, local community members and businesses, the program aims to bring together volunteers from all corners of the outdoor recreation world, evolving to build an inclusive community in the outdoors that works toward a shared goal of protecting public lands for future generations. No single entity can take this on alone; working in collaboration is essential to promote effectiveness and increase knowledge.
Program Information
Trailhead Ambassador programs are seasonal and dependent on funding, thus sites, trailheads and partners are subject to change year to year. This year, the Greenway Trust has partnered with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to train and deploy Ambassadors at the following locations from 9:00am – 1:00pm on Saturdays between June – September:
- Manastash Ridge Trailhead: 15-miles of popular trails located on state-managed lands outside the community of Ellensburg. These user-built and maintained trails are open to hikers, bikers, equestrians, and other non-motorized uses. This area also provides valuable shrub steppe habitat to elk, mule deerk, upland birds, and songbirds. Trailhead Ambassadors will be stationed at the trailhead located at the end of Cove Road.
- Joe Watt Canyon: This site provides access to almost 50,000 acres of endangered shrub-steppe and conifer forest habitat. It is mostly accessed by hunters, wildlife viewers, and motorized recreators utilizing the Green Dot Road system. Trailhead Ambassadors will set up alongside the kiosks at the gravel parking area just before the Joe Watt Canyon gate.
How to Get Started
All Trailhead Ambassadors must complete an online training before they can sign up for a shift. The training will provide more in-depth information about the individual sites, talking points, the dos-and-don’ts of acting as a THA, safety protocols, how to access and set up the THA booth materials, and more! Click the button below to submit an interest form and start your training session.
Program Partners
