Our Stewardship Legacy
Stewarding Montana's Trails Since 2012


MWA has been putting boots on the ground since 2012. Volunteers step up year after year to show their support for public lands (Left: Dan Fenn; Right: Sean Jansen)
For nine years and counting, MWA has mobilized grassroots supporters to improve Montana's storied network of trails. Our Volunteer Trail Crew (VTC) began with an initiative to maintain and complete the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT). Today, our program continues to steward the CDT, while also lending a hand on landscapes like the Kootenai, Jewel Basin, Madison Range and island ranges across the state. We work in partnership with the United States Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to identify trails in need of extra help. Then we get boots on the ground to do the hard work of keeping these trails open and accessible.
Our volunteer crews continue to come through in astounding fashion, lending much-needed help to underfunded federal land managers: since 2012, 1,151 volunteers have contributed 38,664 hours to maintain and improve over 420 miles of trail.
These volunteers are the lifeblood of our Volunteer Trail Crew program. Most of them hail from Montana, but some travel from different states and continents to be a part of our spirited group of public land lovers. They leave behind the creature comforts of daily living to come work through heat, rain and even snow to dig new tread, saw dead trees, and build structures to improve travel in the backcountry. Volunteers gain first-hand knowledge of management needs and priorities from MWA staff and agency partners, and the tens of thousands of hours they contribute help alleviate a growing maintenance backlog due to shortage of federal funding for trails. Their efforts preserve access to Montana's most beloved landscapes and prove to management agencies that MWA can be a trusted ally.
Assembled here are the achievements of our world-class volunteers. While the statistics are impressive, the numbers simply can't do justice to all their hard work over the years. To all our volunteers, we give a heartfelt thank you and promise to keep the spirit of your initiative alive, summer after summer.

2012 – 2020 ACCOMPLISHMENTS
1,151 Volunteers
38,664 Volunteer Hours
423 Miles Worked
6 Miles Trail Constructed
2,379 Dead Trees Removed
3,939 Drains Installed/Maintained
125 Miles Brushed
120 Structures Constructed
$955,055 volunteer in-kind value
2019 Field Season
269 volunteers, 63 trail miles worked, 5,500 volunteer hours
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Salish Kootenai College's Upward Bound Program brushing in the Jewel Basin (Matt Bowser)
2019 Stewardship Annual Report
Project Reports and Achievements
2019 Projects | Landscape | Achievements |
---|---|---|
North Fork Blackfoot | Blackfoot-Clearwater | 3000’ Retread; 1320’ New Trail |
Vermilion River Trails | Cabinet Mountains | 7.8 Miles Maintained |
Montana Youth Challenge | Lee Metcalf Wilderness | 5950' Trail Brushed |
Alice Creek Rehab | Scapegoat Wilderness / CDT | 1800’ Retread; 266 Vol. Hours |
Kading Re-Route | Electric Peak R.W. | 1500’ New Trail Constructed |
Green Mountain | Scapegoat Wilderness / CDT | 2525’ Retread; 14 Drains Installed |
Salish Kootenai College | Jewel Basin | 2000' Trail Brushed |
Johnson Lake | AP Wilderness / CDT | 675 Volunteer Hours |
Mystic Lake Clearing | AP Wilderness / CDT | 12.4 Miles Logged Out |
Crazies - Veteran's Trip | Crazy Mountains | 2 Miles Maintained |
Centennials | Centennials W.S.A. / CDT | 6.5 Miles Maintained |
Big Snowies | Big Snowy Mtns W.S.A | 7920’ Brushing; 600’ Retread |
Jewel Basin | Swan Range | 10560’ Brushing; 250’ Retread |
Sluice Boxes State Park | Little Belts | 3 Log Crib Walls; 100’ Retread |
Adopt-A-Trail Crew | Gallatin Range | 13 Miles Maintained |
2018 Field Season
171 volunteers, 50 trail miles worked, 4,002 volunteer hours

Madison Gallatin Chapter's Adopt-A-Trail Crew venturing off for a day of hard work and good times (Sean Jansen)
2018 Stewardship Annual Report
Project Reports and Achievements
Project Name | Landscape | Achievements |
---|---|---|
Nichols Trail | Eastern Wildlands | Improved 1/4 mile trail |
MT Youth Challenge Academy | Lee Metcalf Wilderness | 280 youth service hours |
Vermilion River Trails | Cabinet Mtns | Cleared 4.5 mi. trail |
Lewis & Clark Pass Fire Rehab | Scapegoat | 1/2 mile retread, 25 signs installed |
Salish Kootenai Upward Bound | Jewel Basin | Brushed 1.5 miles trail |
Hi-Line Trail Fire Rehab | AP Wilderness | Built 36' Bridge, cleared 3 mi. |
Mystic Lake Clearing | AP Wilderness | Cleared 13.5 mi. trail |
Mystic Lake Fire Rehab | AP Wilderness | Built 16' bridge, maintained 1.5 mi |
Centennials W.S.A. | Centennial Mtns | Built 900' new trail |
Helena CDT | Continental Divide | Built 32' turnpike |
Jewel Basin - Outsiety | Swan Range | Maintained 1.5 mi. trail |
North Fork Blackfoot | Blackfoot-Clearwater | 1/2 mile retread, cleared 3 mi. trail |
Adopt-A-Trail Crew | Pioneers and Gallatins | Maintained 9 mi. trail |
Piikani Land Crew | Badger-Two Medicine | 720 Service Hours |
2017 Field Season
58 volunteers, 26 trail miles worked, 2,217 volunteer hours

Storm Lake crew atop Goat Flat in the Anaconda Pintler Wilderness
2017 Stewardship Annual Report
Project Reports and Achievements
Project Name | Landscape | Achievements |
---|---|---|
Granite Butte | Continental Divide | 1000' new trail constructed |
Montana Academy | Continental Divide | 400 youth service hours |
Mystic Lake | AP Wilderness | Cleared 13 mi. trail |
Upper Seymour Lake | AP Wilderness | Improved 4.5 mi. trail |
Storm Lake | AP Wilderness | Demo'd 1/2 mi. social trail |
MacDonald Pass | Continental Divide | 184 volunteer hours |
Centennials | Centennial Mtns | Constructed 1000' reroute |
Badger-Two Medicine Crew | Badger-Two Medicine | 695 service hours |
Southwest Wildlands Chapter | Pioneers and Pintlers | 165 volunteer hours |
2016 Field Season
112 volunteers, 38 trail miles worked, 4,988 volunteer hours

Volunteer Packer Chis Eyer hauling out the Welcome Creek crew's gear from the Scapegoat Wilderness
Project Name | Landscape | Achievements |
---|---|---|
MT Youth Challenge Academy | AP Wilderness | 440 youth service hours |
Granite Butte | Continental Divide | Built four-tier crib wall |
Welcome Creek | Scapegoat | Four mi. heavy brushing |
Granite Butte II | Continental Divide | 317 volunteer hours |
Montana Academy | Continental Divide | 280 youth service hours |
Elk Park | AP Wilderness | Constructed 60 rock walls |
Flower Lake | AP Wilderness | Maintained 4 mi. trail |
Blair Lake | Centennial Mtns | Rebuilt 9 switchbacks |
Storm Lake Pass | AP Wilderness | Constructed 3 turnpikes |
Lion Lake | AP Wilderness | Installed 28 drains |
Fifty Mountain | Glacier NP | Installed new pit toilet |
Shoshone Lake | Yellowstone NP | Maintained 4.5 mi. trail |
Elbow Mountain | Badger-Two Medicine | Constructed 20' puncheon |
2015 Field Season
159 volunteers, 40 trail miles worked, 6,530 volunteer hours

Flesher Pass crew feeling proud after constructing a new crib wall on the CDT
2015 Year-end Summary
Project Name | Landscape | Achievements |
---|---|---|
MT Youth Challenge Academy | Continental Divide | Constructed 310' jack leg fence |
Straight Creek | Scapegoat Wilderness | Maintained 4 mi. trail |
Granite Butte | Continental Divide | Constructed 1750' trail |
Benchmark Connector | Bob Marshall Wilderness | Brushed 7 mi. trail |
Bowl Creek | Bob Marshall Wilderness | Constructed 50' turnpike |
Montana Academy | Continental Divide | Improved 1 mi. new trail |
Flesher Pass | Continental Divide | Constructed 25' cribwall |
Cutaway Pass | AP Wilderness | Constructed 2 turnpikes |
Targhee Pass | Henrys Lake Mountains | Constructed 1 turnpike |
Upper Landers Fork | Scapegoat Wilderness | Constructed 2 turnpikes |
Pintler Signage I | AP Wilderness | Installed 2 trailhead kiosks |
Two Medicine Lake | Glacier NP | Maintained 4 mi. trail |
Summit Lake | Yellowstone NP | Brushed 6 mi. trail |
Pintler Signage II | AP Wilderness | Installed 2 trailhead kiosks |
Hellroaring Creek | Centennials | Maintained 3.5 mi. trail |
Granite Butte | Continental Divide | Improved 1 mi. new trail |
Upper Seymour Lake | AP Wilderness | Improved 2 mi. trail |
2014 Field Season
134 volunteers, 53 trail miles worked, 6,332 volunteer hours

Volunteers from the Chinese Wall trip take a break from work to soak in the view (Sonny Mazzullo)
2014 Year-end Summary
Project Name | Landscape | Achievements |
---|---|---|
MT Youth Challenge Academy | Butte Divide | Maintained 4 mi. trail |
Nevada Mountain | Continental Divide | 274 youth service hours |
Sun River Clearing | Bob Marshall Wilderness | Logged out 83 trees |
MacDonald Pass | Continental Divide | Improved 1 mi. & campground |
Salish Kootenai Upward Bound | Badger-Two Med | Maintained 2 mi. trail |
Chinese Wall | Bob Marshall Wilderness | Maintained/installed 300 drains |
Badger Creek | Badger-Two Medicine | Maintained 2 mi. trail |
Elk Calf Mountain | Badger-Two Medicine | Maintained 5 mi. trail |
Upper Seymour Lake | AP Wilderness | Maintained 4 mi. trail |
Swiftcurrent Pass | Glacier NP | Maintained 2 mi. trail |
Slag-A-Melt Lake | West Big Hole | 320 youth service hours |
Edith Lake | AP Wilderness | Built 30' bridge |
Deadman-Nicholia | Italian Peaks RW | Improved 1/2 mi. trail |
Hellroaring Canyon | Centennial Mountains | Built 47' crib wall |
Heart Lake | Yellowstone National Park | Built 95 drainage structures |
2013 Field Season
110 volunteers, 72 trail miles worked, 4,310 volunteer hours

Lewis & Clark Pass Fire Rehab crew working on the Continental Divide Trail in 2018 (Sean Jansen)
2013 Year-end Summary
Project Name | Landscape | Achievements |
---|---|---|
MT Youth Challenge Academy | Butte Divide | 400 youth service hours |
Shineberger Creek | Beaverheads | Maintained 2 mi. trail |
Aldous Lake | Centennials | Maintained 4 mi. trail |
Elk Calf Mountain | Badger-Two Medicine | Maintained 4 mi. trail |
Salish Kootenai Upward Bound | Badger-Two Medicine | Maintained 4 mi. trail |
Bison Mountain | Continental Divide | Installed fence + signage |
Warren Lake | AP Wilderness | Installed 75 water bars |
Slag-A-Melt Lake | West Big Hole | Maintained 11.5 mi. trail |
Strawberry Creek | Bob Marshall Wilderness | Constructed 60' turnpike |
Hellroaring Creek | AP Wilderness | Maintained 7 mi. trail |
Rainbow Pass | AP Wilderness | Maintained/installed 150 drains |
Granite Butte Lookout | Continental Divide | Restored lookout for rental |
2012 Field Season
81 volunteers, 25 trail miles worked, 3,442 volunteer hours

Constructing a new turnpike in the Bob Marshall Wilderness near Bowl Creek
Project Name | Landscape | Achievements |
---|---|---|
Shineberger Creek | Beaverheads | 1140' tread work |
Salamander Lake | Centennials | Maintained 2 mi. trail |
Deadman Lake | Italian Peaks RW | Maintained 3 mi. trail |
Stemple Pass Rehab | Continental Divide | Constructed 2640' new trail |
Stemple Pass II | Continental Divide | Constructed 1 mi. new trail |
Rainbow Pass | AP Wilderness | Maintained 2 mi. trail |
Mystic Lake | AP Wilderness | Maintained 10 mi. trail |
Bowl Creek | Bob Marshall Wilderness | Constructed 50' turnpike |
Gallatin CDT | Gallatin Range | Installed rock crossing |
Granite Butte Lookout | Continental Divide | Restored lookout for rental |

(Sean Jansen)
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