Each year we reopen the lower Wooley Creek Trail, cutting through brush, logs, poison oak, and ticks. This season, our crew cleared nine miles to Fowler Cabin—restoring passage through a once-lost corridor. Beyond lies deeper wilderness, where the trail fades again and the work continues, mile by mile, with care and commitment.
2026 Trips Announced
Bigfoot Trail Alliance summer volunteer trail trips are now open for sign-ups. Join us in the Klamath Mountains to give back to the trails and wild places that inspire us. No experience necessary, and scholarships are available. Come work alongside a great crew and experience the healing power of community and place.
Edges for the Quiet Work Ahead: Crosscut Saw Training
Preparing for trail season begins at the sharpening bench. Jacob Shinners worked with a Forest Service specialist to tune crosscut saws while reflecting on the enduring value of primitive tools and the judgment required to keep wilderness trails open, quiet, safe, and deeply human.
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, […]
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.
Teens Explore Science and Stewardship in the Trinity Alps
This summer, eight teens joined scientists and mentors in the Trinity Alps for a field internship. Together they learned vegetation survey methods, collected plant specimens for Cal Poly Humboldt’s Herbarium, and explored watershed health and fire resiliency. The trip blended science, stewardship, mentorship, and wilderness skills in a living classroom.
Reestablishing the Hazel Trail: A Partnership Rooted in History and Culture
The Bigfoot Trail Alliance joined the Hoopa Valley TANF Program, elders, and youth to restore a historic hazel trail in the Klamath Mountains. Long used for basketry, hazel connects culture and ecology. Reviving the trail renewed access, strengthened traditions, and deepened relationships across generations.