North American Trail Education
What We Do
North American Trail Education (NATE): Supporting organizations with trail building and maintenance education in the classroom and in the field.
Our goal is to bring the fun and magic of trail building to groups planning conservation or service projects. NATE guides your organization through a two-pronged approach of classroom instruction and hands-on field practice. Our approach also incorporates leadership opportunities, making our program truly memorable and life-changing.
Whether your group plans to cut new trails, maintain existing ones, or remove invasive species, NATE provides the tools, knowledge, and experience needed to get the job done safely while fostering team building and leadership skills.
About NATE
NATE represents the culmination of hundreds of individuals from across the country dedicating the last 25 years to working in the woods together. Our mission is to work on trails, have fun, gain leadership experience, pass on our knowledge, and grow the bonds of friendship.
The idea for NATE was conceived in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of New Mexico. The founders of NATE spent their summers collaborating with conservation professionals and National Forest Service officials, learning the proper techniques of trail building and maintenance. Their passion for the outdoors, conservation of our national lands, and teaching others inspired them to develop an easy-to-understand trail building manual and an actual trail building project.
NATE is more than just classroom education or a typical trail crew project. It bridges classroom learning directly to a trail project, allowing participants to connect trail theory with practical application. We hope that participants leave the program with sufficient knowledge and a love for the outdoors to continue seeking opportunities to work on trails.
