When Is Opening Day For Trails And How Can You Participate?

For years baseball fans have eagerly waited for opening day and then celebrated together. Since 2013, outdoor enthusiasts have done something very similar in the great outdoors.

The third annual Opening Day for Trails is on Saturday, March 28. Hosted by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, the day will include 30 events across the country, most hosted by local trail networks. The idea behind the opening day is to celebrate hiking, biking, trail running, birdwatching, dog walking and other outdoor pursuits, as a community.

 "Opening Day for Trails was inspired by the enthusiasm of baseball fans for their favorite team's Opening Day. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy gave trail enthusiasts a similar opportunity- to share their passion for trails in 2013 during the first Opening Day for Trails," said Katie Harris the Communications Coordinator at Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. "It was an open invitation to kick off the spring season and celebrate trails, and in the years since, tens of thousands of people all over the country have helped us celebrate. Trails are an integral part of communities across the nation, and Opening Day for Trails allows us to show their importance in the lives of active Americans."

Opening day certainly celebrates being active and enjoying the outdoors, but another major highlight is recognizing the many benefits that trail systems bring to the community. From providing a safe way to get around to benefitting the local economy and even helping conserve the environment, trails across the U.S. are more valuable than most people realize.

Whether you can attend an event on March 28, or you simply sign up to celebrate on a local trail, opening day is all about getting outside and enjoying your local trail.