Where does your mind go when you hear the phrase “trail town”?  

Places like Bentonville, Asheville, Park City and Jackson are often cited as big trail towns across the country.  We think great trail towns are much closer.  They’re the towns we call home, right here in the Adirondacks.

As we enter our 40th year of advocating for, building, and stewarding trails that connect us, we encourage you to consider making a year-end donation to support this work.  

Join the 135+ people who have already given this season.  Help us build trails and create community in 2026.

You may have seen the incredible news: together, our community met our goal of raising $20,000 in community donations to unlock the full $20,000 matching donation from a generous anonymous donor.  That’s a powerful reminder of what this community can do together!

Thank you to everyone who has already contributed.  If you were hoping to make a donation this year, you can still be a part of this moment.  Every donation supports our work to build and care for trails and strengthen the community. 

We all know trails are special to people; did you know that they’re also special to dogs? We’re excited to share a story about the well-behaved dogs who work alongside us on the trail.

Of course we can't claim to be dog mind readers so we’re just making an educated guess, but between their dance of anticipation at the doorway, their alert eyes at the trailhead, and their wagging tails in the woods, we think it’s safe to assume the trails are just as special to dogs as they are to you and me. 

​We’d like to introduce you to some unofficial crew dogs of BETA who’ve “helped” with many of our projects: 

​Each dog has their own outdoorsy style -- taking it slow and steady; zipping after good smells; or finding a comfy spot to take a nap -- but they still have a lot in common, just like us.

We all love the special way trails connect us to nature, to one another, and to ourselves. And we know that dogs, like people, need to be well behaved so that everyone has a great trail experience.

There is one difference that stands out between dogs and people: dogs can’t donate to support the trails, but people can. 

Thanks to the gift of an anonymous donor, all community donations through December 31 will be matched. That means your $50 becomes $100. Your $100 becomes $200. Your gift funds trail projects that will put Spud, Stewie, and Rekker to work.

Thank you for being part of this community.
And thank you for helping write the next chapter.
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Help us meet our goal of raising $40,000 for BETA's 40th year -- donate today to double your impact.

Creatures of all sorts benefit from BETA's work.

While out on a trail visit to Adirondack Land Trust's Three Sisters Preserve in late November, our group spotted this gorgeous ermine, photographed by the ALT's Stewardship Manager Derek Rogers.  These feisty predators are pretty sneaky; seeing them is a rare and coveted experience.

This special woodland resident was a great reminder that the land preserved for recreation provides services even beyond the valuable gift of fun trails.  They offer a home to wildlife, and they offer us a chance to witness that wildlife.  

Fleeting moments of awe in the woods are made possible by land preservation and outdoor recreation.  

Thank you to the Adirondack Land Trust for working with us to manage trails at Three Sisters Preserve. Thank you Derek for capturing this incredible little guy and sharing your photos with us. Thank you to this little guy for letting us peek into the wild lives of woodland critters.  
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PC: Derek Rogers/Adirondack Land Trust