Great American Outdoors Act improves popular trails (roads, bathrooms and more)
For four years, the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) — a federal bill that became law on August 4, 2020 — has been funding major improvements to some of our state’s most popular trails. But it's about to expire.
For four years, the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) — a federal bill that became law on August 4, 2020 — has been funding major improvements to some of our state’s most popular trails. Hikers have benefited from this investment. Before it expires in 2025, let's look back on what it's done, and how the funding might be extended.
GAOA funding helped restore hiking access at Big Four Ice Caves. Photo by trip reporter Kjmorty.
Funding from GAOA has improved trails, but also upgraded roads, bathrooms, and campgrounds. GAOA’s robust investment in the outdoors means protection of natural resources, improved visitor safety, climate change resilience and making our national public lands more accessible.
The last four years of work are a great start to comprehensive investment in public lands. But an $8 billion backlog of deferred maintenance work remains just on U.S. Forest Service lands. GAOA funding will run out in 2025, but we're rallying hikers like you to help get this landmark bill reauthorized. Join our Trail Action Network (TAN) to be the first to know when you can speak up for more investments like GAOA.
If you want on-the-ground examples of the good GAOA did, read on. Here are some highlights from the last four years. If you’ve seen these projects on trail, let us know in the comments.
August 4, 2020 — The Great American Outdoors Act passes
The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) is signed into law, thanks to the bipartisan work of members of Congress, advocacy by many outdoors organizations (including WTA) and voices of hikers like you.
The landmark piece of legislation invests up to $2.8 billion annually on national public lands. The funds are intended to protect beloved landscapes and improve the public’s ability to access them. GAOA funds outstanding maintenance needs across lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Indian Education.
September 2022 — Snow Lake Trail rebuilt for hiker safety
GAOA funding turned ankle-twisting rocks into new stairs on the Snow Lake trail. Photo by trip reporter Maddy.
Snow Lake is the most visited lake in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, just under an hour from the Puget Sound Metro Area. Thousands of hiking feet were wearing on a severely eroded half-mile section of trail. Thanks to GAOA, WTA helped the Forest Service turn this stretch of ankle-twisting rocks into stairs and smooth trail. A win for hiker safety and trail durability!
June 2023 – Restoring access to Big Four Ice Caves
After years of searching for funding, GAOA funds allowed the Forest Service to replace the bridge to Big Four Ice Caves in October 2022 and in June 2023 to add wheelchair-accessible bridge approaches. U.S. Forest Service photo by Lucas Silvis.
This iconic trail leads to viewpoints of the Big Four Ice Caves on the Mountain Loop Highway. Trail and bridge damage had closed the last section of the trail for three years. GAOA funding allowed the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest to replace the boardwalk and the bridge across the South Fork Stillaguamish River, restoring access for all visitors to this hugely popular location.
October 2023 — Better access for families and all hikers at Denny Creek
GAOA funded a new parking area at Denny Creek/Franklin Falls that is safer for hikers and more environmentally-friendly. Photo by trip reporter -Uli
The family-friendly grade of this trail that leads to a natural waterslide makes Denny Creek one of the most popular destinations in the Snoqualmie area.
GAOA funded a construction project that built a new parking lot with an additional 100 spaces, a new toilet, information kiosk, connector trails and a connector road. The parking lot is made of pervious asphalt to help filter pollutants from the rainwater that falls on the parking area. This improved infrastructure will eliminate the need for parking along the roadside, improving hiker safety and protection of the surrounding nature.
November 2023 — Lake Annette Trail improved for hikers and wildlife
The Forest Service, WTA and Mountains to Sound Greenway teamed up to improve Lake Annette Trail for cleaner water and better hiker safety. Photo courtesy of Mountains to Sound Greenway.
The Forest Service, WTA and Mountains to Sound Greenway came together to improve 2.6 miles of the Lake Annette Trail. Rerouting the trail above wet ground, constructing crib ladder steps and performing other maintenance resulted in a trail that protects hiker safety and minimizes erosion to keep waterways clean for wildlife.
June 2024 — Potholes repaired on the road to Pilchuck
GAOA funding fixed the road that takes hikers to beautiful views from Mount Pilchuck and the waters of Heather Lake. Photo by trip reporter Alpine.zone
Winter weather and high use of this road (thanks to the presence of two popular trails along it) left the road to Mount Pilchuck riddled with potholes. Poor road conditions limited hiker access to this fire lookout with sweeping views of Mount Baker, Mount Rainier and the Olympics.
GAOA funded Forest Service work on the road that leads to the trailhead and on the trail itself, in partnership with WTA and Washington State Parks. Regrading the road to remove potholes and improving drainage will keep this road in better condition for more hiking seasons than before.
Summer 2024 — Access for everyone at Mount Baker
GAOA funding improves an ADA-accessible hike on the Fire & Ice trail near Mount Baker. Photo courtesy of U.S. Forest Service
Fire & Ice is the premiere interpretive trail in the Mount Baker area, introducing hikers of all abilities to the area’s geology and alpine flower meadows. 1,000 feet of the trail is paved and ADA accessible. GAOA provided the resources for needed trail work, for example installing stone retainers to project the edges of the trail’s pavement.
Work continues through this summer with replacement of the boardwalk and viewing platforms to keep this trail accessible into the future.
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