This Saturday: National Trails Day

June is Great Outdoors Month, a month-long celebration of all things outdoors. Moreover, America will also be celebrating National Trails Day this Saturday.

If I had to guess, most of us probably take our trails for granted. And if you were like me, you probably have no idea how they came about, or simply assume they were constructed by some governmental entity at some point. The truth of the matter is that there are a wide variety of individuals and groups who’ve been responsible for the construction of our trails over the years.

Before local, state and federal agencies became heavily involved with the construction and maintenance of recreational trails in the 1930s and 40s, many of the footpaths in our national parks and forests were originally blazed by Native Americans, hunters, trappers, prospectors, pioneers, shepherds, cattlemen, and loggers. Even the U.S. Army, railroad barons, hotel owners and other local entrepreneurs built some of the hiking trails that we still use today!

With National Trails Day rapidly approaching, now’s a great time to learn about the rich history of early trail development.

Ramble On: A History of Hiking contains a chapter dedicated to the widely diverse accounts of how and why trail networks were developed in some of our oldest and most iconic national parks, as well as America’s first hiking destination - the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

With Father’s Day right around the corner, Ramble On: A History of Hiking also makes for a great gift idea!



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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 Day in Hiking History: The Pageant of the Dunes

Surprisingly, several hiking clubs have held talent shows, skits and plays over the years, some of which were/are fairly major productions. For example, in order to raise awareness of

the damage that was being inflicted on Lake Michigan’s sand dunes, the Prairie Club of Chicago hosted the “Pageant of the Dunes” beginning on this date in 1917. After the club's founding in 1908, the dunes area quickly became a popular hiking destination for many of its members. However, at that time, large portions of dune habitat were being spoiled by industrial sand mining, which was used to make concrete for construction projects in Chicago. Through the use of music, dancing, and roughly one thousand period actors, the pageant recounted the history of the dunes from pre-European contact through French, British and American governance. The two-day event drew between 25,000 and 50,000 spectators, and eventually led to the establishment of Indiana Dunes State Park in 1925 and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in 1966, which was upgraded to a national park in 2019.

Learn more about the pioneers of hiking in Ramble On: A History of Hiking.


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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.

Bear attack reported in Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park spokesperson Autumn Sifuentes confirmed to SFGATE earlier today that “a surprise encounter involving a hiker and a bear occurred on the Grinnell Glacier Trail in Glacier National Park” yesterday. The Grinnell Glacier Trail and the North Shore Josephine Lake Trail, which connect to each other, are currently closed, and no further information is being made available at this time. You can read more about the somewhat chaotic encounter here.

Additionally, two hikers recorded a close encounter with two grizzly bears on the South Shore Trail on Monday. Here's a video clip of an interview the couple recorded with Good Morning America yesterday.



Apparently, all trails past the Many Glacier Hotel are currently closed. I'll post more information once it becomes available.



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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

The First Hiking Club

Most writers and historians point to the Alpine Club of London as being the first mountaineering or “walking club” in the world, and the Alpine Club of Williamstown as being the first hiking club in America. However, it should be noted that the U.S. National Park Service recognizes the Exploring Circle as preceding both of those organizations by several years. The Exploring Circle was founded by Cyrus M. Tracy (or Tracey) and three other men

from Lynn, Massachusetts in 1850. These four men, all mechanics, formed the club to advance their knowledge of the natural sciences as they pertained to the forested areas adjacent to their town. This included zoology, topography, mapping, mineralogy and meteorology, as well as documenting botanical specimens and unusual geological formations. They also participated in other educational pursuits that would enhance their understanding of the natural sciences, such as the study of language. Although not a true hiking club in the same sense as the clubs that would emerge over the next several decades, the National Park Service does recognize the Exploring Circle as “the first hiking club in New England.” In addition to their pursuit of knowledge, the club held periodic outings, and built trails and camps in Lynn Woods, some of which still survive today. Throughout the years the group added several new members, and is documented as having existed until at least 1881. Tracy’s greatest legacy was securing funds to save the woods around Lynn, which became known as the “Free Public Forest,” and is now the second-largest municipal park in America. The forest is now part of the Lynn Woods Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

Learn more about the pioneers of hiking in Ramble On: A History of Hiking.


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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.

Upper Mesa Falls will close August 10 for the 2026 season

The Caribou-Targhee National Forest will begin renovation operations at the popular Mesa Falls Recreation Area beginning Aug. 10, 2026. During construction, the entire Upper Mesa Falls area will be closed. The project is scheduled to continue into winter.

Although fall is a beautiful time to visit Mesa Falls, it also provides the window needed to complete this necessary renovation project, which includes road repairs and chip sealing.

“The timeline was chosen to minimize the impact to the public while still offering environmental conditions needed for success of the project,” said Steve Jenkins, Forest Engineer. “We want to get the word out early so visitors aren’t surprised at the end of summer.”

During the closure, visitors can still explore the nearby Lower Mesa Falls area, located just under a mile to the south along the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway, which includes hiking trails and scenic overlooks.



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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