Trail Ambassador Program
Every wilderness user should have the chance to learn how to minimize their impact. Volunteer on your own schedule, hike a beautiful trail, be a Trail Ambassador!
More people are accessing the A-B Wilderness, many of them first time or novice wilderness users. Trail Ambassadors are volunteers who support these folks as they discover the value of wild spaces. TA’s provide hikers the information and tools they need to care for their surrounding environment, reminding even experienced backcountry users of practices that are too often overlooked.
What Trail Ambassadors Do:
- Attend a brief, virtual or in-person training session that prepares attendees, regardless of experience, to be a Trail Ambassador (May)
- Hike some of the A-B’s most popular routes, making friendly contact with users in the parking lot and along trails (June to September)
- Provide information, handouts, and free materials to help users decrease their impact
- Document useful data used by Custer-Gallatin National Forest
Who can be a Trail Ambassador?
Trail Ambassadors range from seasoned A-B Wilderness users to folks who are just discovering a passion for wild spaces and have little backcountry experience. Regardless of their familiarity with the A-B, Trail Ambassadors attend a short training (either virtually or in-person) that prepares them to step into the role with confidence. We invite interested folks of all ages and experience levels to volunteer, and we are committed to giving each TA the training and resources they need to to be effective stewards. While we appreciate when TAs volunteer for three or more half-days each year, fewer days is just fine!
Trails that need Trail Ambassadors
| Trail | Ranger District |
|---|---|
| East Rosebud Trails | Beartooth |
| West Rosebud Trails | Beartooth |
| The Beaten Path | Beartooth and Gardiner |
| Lake Fork Trails | Beartooth |
| West Fork Trails | Beartooth |
| Island Lake | Beartooth |
| Upsidedown Creek | Yellowstone |
| Pine Creek Lake Trail | Yellowstone |
| Bear Creek | Gardiner |
Have a group and interested in getting involved with our Trail Ambassador Program?
By partnering with groups to sponsor trailheads for our Trail Ambassador Program, we are seeking win-win-win-win results:
- individual volunteers will get to work on a meaningful project with direct benefits to wilderness and fish and wildlife habitat
- your organization will gain positive public exposure, including new members and donors
- ABWF will be able to maximize efficacy of our training, volunteer recruitment, and education/outreach delivery, helping us respond to one of wilderness conservation’s greatest needs
- the wilderness we all care about will see fewer negative impacts from visitor use, while visitors (new and old) will continue to enjoy a world class wilderness experience
Many thanks to our Trail Ambassador business partners!
- CleanWaste Technologies of Belgrade; for providing us with waste disposal bags.
- Sylvan Peak Enterprises of Red Lodge; for providing P-cord and trowels to hand out.
- Timber Trails of Livingston; for providing P-cord and trowels to hand out.
