Greg Williams: “National Trails Day Reminds Us That Everyone Can Do Something”

U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz joins Tanya Williams, Myles Williams, and Greg Williams during National Trails Day celebrations on the Idaho Panhandle National Forest. More than 85 volunteers participated in stewardship activities while Williams served as the event’s unofficial “Barbecue Wizard,” helping feed volunteers and community members throughout the day.

While thousands of Americans celebrated National Trails Day across the country last Saturday, I had the privilege of spending the day on the Idaho Panhandle National Forest cooking for more than 85 volunteers and community members, including Chief Tom Schultz of the U.S. Forest Service.

For one day, I traded my trail-building tools for a spatula and proudly served as the unofficial “Barbecue Wizard” for the Forest Service. 

But the real story wasn’t the food, it was the people.

More than 85 volunteers from all backgrounds came together to give back to their public lands.  Hunters, hikers, dirt bikers, equestrians, mountain bikers, anglers, ATV/UTV riders, folks from conservation groups and others in the community spent their day side-by-side digging in the dirt on the trails they love, working together to finish five stewardship projects. Their efforts are a reminder that America’s public lands are not maintained by government agencies alone. They are sustained by people who care enough to show up, regardless of how they choose to recreate. 

National Trails Day was especially meaningful to me because it brought together two places that have shaped my life. Today, I split my time between California’s Lost Sierra and the Idaho Panhandle. More than 40 years ago, my parents moved our family to North Idaho, where they built Idaho’s first BMX track and introduced me to the power of trails, recreation and community. Those early experiences helped shape my belief that outdoor recreation can bring people together around a common purpose.

Standing alongside my wife Tanya, my son Myles, and U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz on National Trails Day was a reminder that stewardship is ultimately about people, families and communities working together to care for the places they love. Whether I am working in the Lost Sierra or the forests of North Idaho, the lesson remains the same: Strong communities are built by people who are willing to show up and contribute.

As Forest Service staffing and budgets continue to shrink, community stewardship has never been more important. Across the country, nonprofit organizations, volunteers, local governments and private citizens are stepping up to help care for the places we all love.

At Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship, we see this every day. Our professional trail crews, youth crews, events and volunteer programs create meaningful jobs and invest payroll dollars directly into rural communities. Trails are more than recreation, they are infrastructure that supports healthy forests, local businesses, tourism and community resilience.

Over the past two decades, Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship has built 228 miles of new trail, maintained more than 3,100 miles of trail, engaged over 10,000 volunteers and helped deliver more than $20 million in conservation and recreation investments to rural communities throughout the Sierra Nevada. The future of the Lost Sierra, and communities like it across America, depends on people continuing to invest their time, energy and passion into the places they call home.

No matter where you live, in a mountain town, farming community, suburb or city, you can make a difference. Volunteer. Pick up trash. Help a neighbor. Support a local nonprofit. Join a community project. Spend time outdoors with your family. 

We can’t do everything, but we can all do something.

I hope you celebrated National Trails Day by picking up a shovel, turning a wrench, taking a hike, riding a bike, or simply enjoying your public lands. Better yet, I hope you found a way to give back to them.

And remember, here in the Lost Sierra, every day is National Trails Day.