On January 8, 2026, regional trail organizations, land managers, and nonprofit partners gathered for the Third Annual Wilderness & Primitive Trails Summit, convened by the Bigfoot Trail Alliance. The event strengthened collaboration, aligned priorities, and built shared capacity to care for northwest California’s most remote and ecologically vital trail systems.
Fire on the Bigfoot Trail: Reading the Landscape Through Flame and Forest
Along the spine of the Klamath Mountains, the Bigfoot Trail winds for 360 miles from the oak woodlands of the Mendocino National Forest to the fog-washed forests near Crescent City. It crosses six national forests, a national park, and a state park. It passes through one of the most botanically rich temperate regions on Earth, […]
2025 Annual Report
Founded in 2016, and for every year since, we have experienced growth in all of our program areas. 2025 was no different and we are excited to share some of the highlights in our 2025 annual report including our Workforce Training Network within our Youth Stewardship Project, National Forest Trail Work, and our Volunteer of the Year.
Honoring Our 2025 Volunteer of the Year, Dr. Brad Marston
Some people meet the Klamath Mountains only once or twice in their lives. Others feel the call so strongly that it becomes a kind of compass. Dr. Brad Marston — physicist, professor at Brown University, and our 2025 Volunteer of the Year — is one of those people whose life keeps bending back toward this […]
A New Era for the Bigfoot Trail Alliance
Fifteen years after imagining the Bigfoot Trail into being, Michael Kauffmann has become the Alliance’s first Executive Director. With new board leadership and expanding programs in stewardship, education, and youth engagement, the BFTA enters a transformative era—committed to protecting the Klamath Mountains and building a community of lifelong caretakers.
The First Female Hotshot Firefighters, Culture in the 1980s, and the Bigfoot Trail with Mary “Fireweed” Kwart
Thank you to The Trek on Backpacker Radio for featuring Bigfoot Trail Alliance board member Mary “Fireweed” Kwart. As one of the first female hotshot firefighters and a passionate Bigfoot Trail advocate, Mary shares powerful stories of resilience, trail stewardship, and the importance of protecting biodiversity through long-distance hiking and conservation.
Beavers and Trails: Youth Restoring the Klamath Mountains
Twenty youth from across the Klamath Mountains gathered at Miner’s Creek Ranch for a weekend of hands-on ecological restoration, building beaver dam analogs and restoring public trails. Led by regional conservation partners, the Beavers and Trails workshop empowered youth with real-world skills, leadership training, and a vision for climate resilience.
Restoring the Forks of Blue Trail: Perseverance in the Rain
Nine volunteers from the Bigfoot Trail Crew and College of the Redwoods braved a rainy weekend on the Forks of Blue Trail, contributing 192 hours to clear 15 downed logs and heavy brush along a half-mile stretch. Their work restored access, improved safety, and advanced stewardship on Six Rivers National Forest’s Orleans District.
