On this date in hiking history: William O. Douglas begins his 22-mile hike to protest an extension of Highway 101

On this date in 1958, U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas led a 22-mile trek along the Olympic coast in Washington, just west of Olympic National Park, to protest a proposed extension of Highway 101. This backpacking trip along the rugged coast took three days to complete, but was successful in accomplishing the goal of the roughly 70 participants.

Here’s a pretty cool documentary film of Douglas’s historic hike – both for its historical significance, and the scenery:





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Virtually no one went hiking before the 19th century. What occurred that inspired ordinary people to take a walk through the woods for pleasure? Ramble On: A History of Hiking explores the rich history of hiking, and how it evolved into one of the most popular pastimes in the world.

Record of Decision amendment signed for Moose-Wilson Road

The National Park Service has approved an amendment to the Record of Decision for the Moose-Wilson Corridor Comprehensive Management Plan in Grand Teton National Park. Acting Intermountain Regional Director Bert Frost signed the ROD amendment on Aug. 14, 2026.

"We remain committed to providing appropriate recreational opportunities while maintaining the natural and cultural resources that sustain a healthy, functioning ecosystem," said Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Chip Jenkins. "We are balancing visitor access with long-term stewardship."

A 2016 Final Environmental Impact Statement evaluated multiple alternatives for managing the Moose-Wilson Corridor. Following a re-evaluation of that analysis, the NPS determined the effects of the amended decision are similar to those analyzed in the 2016 EIS. The ROD amendment incorporates two elements previously analyzed under Alternative D of the 2016 Final EIS: (1) construction of a separated multiuse pathway along the corridor and (2) realignment of a segment of Moose-Wilson Road between Sawmill Ponds and Death Canyon Road. All other improvements from the 2016 ROD remain unchanged.

The amended decision also includes refinement and mitigation measures to reduce impacts to wildlife, wetlands and cultural resources, including locating the pathway as close to the roadway as practicable to minimize disturbance.

In accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, the NPS worked with the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Officer, federally recognized Tribes and other consulting parties to develop a Programmatic Agreement. The park also coordinated with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to evaluate potential impacts on wetlands and prepare a Wetlands Statement of Findings.

With the amended decision now in place, the park will move into implementation by developing a project timeline and initiating topographic surveys within the Moose-Wilson corridor.

The ROD amendment, the Programmatic Agreement, Wetlands Statement of Findings, Biological Opinion and public comments are available on the project website.



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Check out our online trail guides:

• Glacier National Park: HikinginGlacier.com

• Grand Teton National Park: TetonHikingTrails.com

• Rocky Mountain National Park: RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

• Ramble On: A History of Hiking

On this date in hiking history: The final link in the Appalachian Trail is completed

On this date in 1937, a Civilian Conservation Corps crew finished construction on a two-mile section of the Appalachian Trail between Spaulding and Sugarloaf Mountains in Maine, thus connecting the final link along the entire trail. At that time, the footpath traveled roughly 2025 miles, from Mount Oglethorpe in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine. However, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy website notes that the route is constantly changing, and estimates that 99% of it has been rebuilt or relocated since its initial completion, including the reroute to its current southern terminus at Springer Mountain. As you can see in this photo, women were active in building the trail, especially before the CCC became involved in 1933:

Here’s the Bates Outing Club conducting maintenance work on the Appalachian Trail, circa 1939. According to the video description, “The black liquid they're smearing on their faces and arms at the 42-second mark is probably pine-tar fly dope (nasty stuff!).”





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Virtually no one went hiking before the 19th century. What occurred that inspired ordinary people to take a walk through the woods for pleasure? Ramble On: A History of Hiking explores the rich history of hiking, and how it evolved into one of the most popular pastimes in the world.

On this date in hiking history: Two grizzly bear attacks in Glacier National Park

On this date in 1967 the unthinkable occurred. Two women, in separate incidents, were killed by grizzly bears while backpacking in Glacier National Park. The incidents were detailed in the best-selling book, Night of the Grizzlies, by Jack Olsen. Fifty years after the events of that night, PBS broadcast an outstanding documentary with the same name. As a hiker, this can be a little difficult to watch at times:





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Virtually no one went hiking before the 19th century. What occurred that inspired ordinary people to take a walk through the woods for pleasure? Ramble On: A History of Hiking explores the rich history of hiking, and how it evolved into one of the most popular pastimes in the world.

On this date in hiking history: The first recorded use of the word “mountaineering"

The following is an excerpt from Ramble On: A History of Hiking.

The joint publication of Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1798 is widely recognized as the birth of Romanticism in English literature. In addition to being close friends, both poets held nature in the highest regard, and both enjoyed exploring the Lake District on long walking excursions.

In the 1805 version of The Prelude, Wordsworth described himself as a “mountaineer,” a term he didn’t use in the original 1799 version of this unpublished poem. It’s very possible that he may have adopted this expression during the intervening years from his friend and writing partner, Samuel Taylor Coleridge. On August 9, 1802, Coleridge sent a letter to Robert Southey, another one of the so-called “Lake Poets,” which described an extended rambling excursion he took in the Lake District. During the outing, Coleridge made the first known ascent of 3163-foot Scafell, the second-highest peak in England. In the letter, he casually remarked that he had "spent the greater part of the next day mountaineering." The Oxford English Dictionary now recognizes this as the first recorded use of the word “mountaineering" to describe this relatively new and emerging sport. Other Romantic poets, such as John Keats and Lord Byron, would also describe themselves as “mountaineers.”



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Virtually no one went hiking before the 19th century. What occurred that inspired ordinary people to take a walk through the woods for pleasure? Ramble On: A History of Hiking explores the rich history of hiking, and how it evolved into one of the most popular pastimes in the world.