Youth Trail Stewards
We believe it’s essential to invest in and educate youth on how to care for our trails, become stewards of public lands, and enjoy the outdoors responsibly. Through the Youth Trail Stewards program, young people gain hands-on experience, learn conservation principles, and contribute meaningfully to the trails they love.
What the Program Teaches
Our Youth Trail Stewards program offers:
✔ Trail Maintenance & Skills
Participants learn basic trail construction and sustainable maintenance techniques—including using tools like McLeods and loppers, trail tread repair, drainage improvement, and corridor clearing.
✔ Outdoor Ethics & Stewardship Principles
Youth are introduced to:
Trail etiquette and responsible recreation
Leave No Trace principles
The importance of conserving natural resources
Respect for public lands and diverse trail users
✔ Community & Teamwork
Trail work days instantly build confidence, teamwork, leadership, and a deeper connection to nature and community. Youth often return as ambassadors and leaders for future stewardship activities.
✔ Career Awareness
Older participants explore outdoor and conservation careers through immersive experiences, including partnerships like the Eagle County Youth Corps, which provides paid, real-world stewardship experience for local teens.
These lessons happen both in the classroom and out on the trail.
How the Program Works
We engage youth through a variety of formats, including:
School Partnerships & Youth Organizations
We work with schools and groups such as The Cycle Effect, YouthPower 365, Walking Mountains Science Center, Rocky Mountain Youth Corps, and more to bring trail stewardship into educational and recreational settings.
Trail Work Events & Camps
Throughout the spring and summer, we host hands-on trail days, immersive stewardship camps, and themed projects like:
Trail improvement days at bike parks and local trails
Environmental education hikes and outdoor lessons
Trail Talks on conservation and responsible recreation
Classroom & Outdoor Learning
Education extends beyond tools and boots — we discuss ecology, trail design, sustainability, and how small actions make big impacts.
2025 Season Highlights
This past year’s projects reached more schools and youth groups than ever before. Here’s a look at some of the season’s standout moments:
- Trail Work with The Cycle Effect: Young athletes swapped bikes for trail tools to clear drains, close social trails, and improve tread. By the end of summer, The Cycle Effect had 107 youth volunteers contributing over 170 hours of trail work and education.
- Mountain Rec “Backyard Explorer’s Camp”: Campers got their hands dirty (and had a few water fights!) removing invasive kochia at Eagle Bike Park before riding the freshly cleared features.
- Walking Mountains “Trailblazers” Camp: Middle schoolers capped a three-day hut trip with a trail project on Brown’s Loop Trail, removing willows and improving wetland boardwalks.
- Vail Mountain School, Vail Christian High School & Battle Mountain Green Team: Over 75 students spent service days maintaining Booth Lake, Wyse Way, and Stone Creek Trails, completing drainage improvements, tread work, and corridor clearing while learning about stewardship careers.
- Trail Talks with Vail Valley Ride: Over 120 kids learned about “Leave No Trace,” responsible recreation, and the power of picking up 1,182 rocks — all in a three-minute stewardship game!
Together, the Youth Trail Stewards:
Had 372 participants
Completed 945.5 volunteer hours
Covered 9.6 miles of trail
Cleared or created 66 drains
Repaired 1,950 feet of tread
Cleared over 10,000 feet of corridor
Removed trash, weeds, and rogue social trails across more than a dozen sites.
Interested in scheduling a program?
Contact:
Natalie Neuwirth
Trails Stewardship Manager
natalie@vvmta.org
