British walkers demand wider right to roam

Sep 28, 2022
A United Kingdom group is calling for greater access to the countryside and is organizing mass trespasses to get it.
The majority of the England's countryside is off limits to the public, but an assortment of nature lovers is advocating for expanded public access to the countryside.
Stephen Beard/Marketplace

Wyoming hopes recreational trail improvements will spur tourism

Sep 20, 2022
Updating old cattle trails, logging roads and wildlife migration trails could provide a crucial boost to local economies, some say.
Ryan Grove of Sublette Trails Association fixes an old trail in the Wind River Range in northwest Wyoming.
Caitlin Tan/Wyoming Public Media

As mountain biking booms, so does demand for trail builders

Oct 7, 2021
High-quality trails take expertise and meticulous work. Professionally built trails can cost up to $70,000 a mile.
Adam Harju uses a 3-ton excavator to move huge rocks into place on a new mountain bike trail near Split Rock Lighthouse State Park on Aug. 9.
Dan Kraker

Recreational trails are seen as an economic boon

Jan 3, 2020
Cities around the country have long had to worry about roads. Now, with the help of volunteers, they’re also investing more heavily in trails.
Retired Olympic gold medalist Kikkan Randall leads dozens of young Nordic skiers on a workout at the Grand Avenue Nordic Center in Duluth, Minnesota.
Dan Kraker

U.S. parks and trails rely on a volunteer labor force

Oct 17, 2019
Like most public projects, public lands have a backlog of needed repairs.
Tim Morris, a retired bank trader, clears overgrowth from the Pacific Crest Trail using a long brush saw.
Ben Bradford/Marketplace

When Mt. Everest's base camp is enough

Jun 16, 2017
Climbing Mt. Everest may seem like something you’d never do — and you probably won’t. But what about getting to Everest base camp? That seems more accessible, and just as exciting and Instagram-worthy. All you have to do is hike along narrow paths and up steep inclines, withstand freezing temperatures and acclimate to high altitudes […]