The Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog: American Trails Video: Building Trail Culture

American Trails recently published the presentation (below), which was given by Amy Camp during this years' International Trails Symposium. Ms. Camp's presentation discussed "Building Trail Culture" in communities across America. As trails in our national parks and forests become increasingly overcrowded (which I discussed in detail in my book), utilization of local trails will become more important as hiking participation rates continue to grow. Here's a synopsis of the presentation:

Trail communities around North America have come to appreciate (and clamor for) the economic benefits of trails. In fact, a model for community development—“trail towns”—has emerged to aid struggling communities in leveraging their trails. But we’ve got it mostly wrong. While economic gain contributes to community vitality, too heavy of a focus on any one trail benefit lacks balance…and heart. Those places that value trails simply for the dollars brought into town miss out on the “trail magic” that can touch communities. If we flip our focus from visitor transactions to truly engaging both visitors and locals, culture shift is possible. One concrete way of doing so is through programming immersive, memorable, joyful trail experiences. This talk will share programming examples and make a case for how these connections can transform communities from a culture of indifference to a culture of “yes,” of hospitality, of inclusion, and stewardship.