I’ve hiked hundreds of miles of trails over the years, and taken for granted that those trails existed at all. The fact is, it takes planning and a great deal of manual labor to build a trail, not to mention the maintenance once it’s done, and much of this is done by a network of volunteers.

“Volunteers are essential because land management agencies at the federal, state and local levels often lack the time, staffing or budget to complete all the critical stewardship work that needs to be done,” said Kimberly Gagnon, director of marketing and communications for Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC).

And this year, overall funding, particularly at the federal level, has declined, leaving gaps in trail building and habitat work, she said. “Volunteers play a vital role. The outdoor spaces w

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