This spring, Friends of the Columbia Gorge, the Mt. Hood and Columbia River Gorge Regional Tourism Alliance, the U.S. Forest Service and Oregon State Parks debuted the Trailhead Ambassador Program.
On Saturdays and Sundays during high season, trained volunteers have been stationed at some of the busiest trailheads in the Mt. Hood National Forest and the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, providing visitors with information needed for a safe, informed and positive experience when hiking and visiting in the region.
As of July 31, more than 100 individuals had gone through the training process and 91 people had volunteered, donating 1,700 hours and engaging with more than 15,500 visitors at eight trailheads, including Multnomah Falls, Latourell Falls, Cape Horn, Mirror Lake and Trillium Lake.
The program, which will continue through Labor Day weekend, recently expanded to two new locations, Timberline Lodge and Tamanawas Falls trailheads, bringing the total to 10 trailheads for the program.
“This has been such a positive experience for both sides of the program — the volunteers and the hikers. The ambassadors have done a stellar job in welcoming and advising visitors, and in return, they’ve had so many rewarding and personal connections, meeting people from around the world as they explore the beauty of our region on two feet,” said Lizzie Keenan, regional specialist, Mt. Hood and the Columbia River Gorge Regional Tourism Alliance.
“We are thrilled with the program’s inaugural year, and believe that it has really made a difference in helping visitors enjoy our region to its fullest while being responsible and safe stewards to our invaluable public lands.”Vancouver resident Amelia Madarang, age 18, has volunteered as a Trailhead Ambassador since April — along with her dog TJ — and has completed 18 volunteer hours. “I bring my dog with me to every Trailhead Ambassador shift I do. He is wonderful and a complete pushover. People often start the conversations with us by asking if they can pet my dog. The first Trailhead Ambassador shift I ever did was at Latourell Falls, and we had a little boy come up to us nervously with his dad and ask if he could pet TJ. Later in the conversation, the boy asked if he would see other mountain lions like the one he was petting,” said Madarang.
Sarah Raab of Parkdale has also enjoyed her time as a volunteer. She has given 48 volunteer hours at the Tamawanas and Trillium Lake trailheads.
“I’ve hiked since childhood and that has given me an appreciation of the outdoors, and I’d like to pass that on to others. Plus, I hiked with Friends of The Gorge, and I wanted to give back,” said Raab. “As a Trailhead Ambassador, I’ve enjoyed passing information to recreationists and having them say ‘Oh, I didn’t know that. Thank you.’ I also like talking about Leave No Trace practices. As trails are used by more and more people, it is very important to practice LNT for the continued enjoyment of those who follow.”
Friends of the Columbia Gorge is a nonprofit organization with more than 8,000 members dedicated to protecting and enhancing the scenic, natural, cultural and recreational resources of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Friends maintains offices in Portland, Ore., as well as two locations based in the Gorge — Hood River and Washougal. Learn more at gorgefriends.org.
The Mt. Hood and Columbia River Gorge Regional Tourism Alliance seeks to build awareness for the region as a premier, multi-day, and year-round travel destination that benefits all communities in the region through global marketing, press releases and sales. Their mission is to build awareness for the lesser-served communities in the region and support efforts for sustainable destination development programs and training opportunities. Learn more at www.hood-gorge.com.
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