The Pacific Northwest Trail Association (PNTA) is the nonprofit partner dedicated to the protection, completion, and stewardship of the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail (PNT), a 1,200-mile trail connecting Glacier National Park in Montana to Cape Alava on Washington's Pacific coast. Since 1977, PNTA has worked to ensure that the trail remains a world-class recreation and conservation corridor by coordinating trail construction and maintenance, volunteer stewardship, youth and conservation corps programs, land conservation efforts, public education, and community engagement across the northern Rocky Mountains, Columbia Mountains, North Cascades, Salish Sea region, and Olympic Peninsula.
Each year, PNTA mobilizes thousands of volunteer hours and works in partnership with federal agencies, Tribes, state and local governments, land trusts, businesses, and outdoor recreation organizations to maintain and improve the trail. The organization helps train the next generation of public lands stewards through youth and young-adult conservation corps programs while advancing projects that improve access, protect wildlife habitat, and conserve the scenic and ecological values that make the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail nationally significant.
Beyond its work on the ground, PNTA serves as a leading voice for the Pacific Northwest Trail and the broader National Trails System. The organization works with congressional offices, federal agencies, and national trail partners to advance policies and funding that support wildlife, public lands, trails, and other outdoor recreation. PNTA participates in Hike the Hill annually, collaborates with national trail organizations and coalitions, develops and submits public comments on proposed policies affecting trails and public lands, and advocates for conservation programs, trail funding, and landscape-scale protections that benefit ecosystems, trail users, and communities across the country.
As one of the youngest National Scenic Trails, the Pacific Northwest Trail presents unique opportunities and challenges. PNTA plays a central role in helping complete and protect the trail's permanent route, advancing land conservation and corridor planning efforts, and ensuring that future generations can experience the wild landscapes, cultural heritage, and outdoor recreation opportunities that define the Pacific Northwest. Through collaboration, stewardship, and advocacy, PNTA works to connect people with nature while helping conserve some of the nation's most spectacular public lands.