The Prescott National Forest is looking for volunteers to help build a new trail this weekend.
Forest officials have set aside Saturday, March 26, for willing volunteers to lend a hand in constructing the Copper Chief Trail #535. Forest spokesperson Debbie Maneely says volunteers should be motivated by their appreciation for Arizona’s outdoors.
"These are your trails, they’re everybody’s trails," Maneely said. "You know, we have lots of people in the community who use them. We have lots of tourists that come to our area because of our wonderful weather throughout the year to come use our trails. And if we don’t maintain them, then they’re not going to be sustainable and they won’t be around for years to come."
The forest has nearly 800 miles of trails for hiking, cycling and other activities. Maneely says volunteers are crucial to trail maintenance.
“We use volunteers here across the agency to help us with our trails," Maneely said. "Whether it is making new trails, or even keeping maintenance on our existing trail system so that the trails are sustainable and safe for our users.”
Those interested in volunteering have until Thursday, March 24, to RSVP.