What Does the Back Country Horsemen of Washington Trail Maintenance Program Actually Do?

Updated

Back Country Horsemen of Washington (BCHW) is a volunteer organization that combines two things: teaching people how to care for trails, and actually doing that care work on public lands. Its members—many of them equestrians—clear fallen trees, repair tread, install drainage, and maintain the routes that horseback riders, hikers, and other trail users depend on. The education side exists to make that work safe and effective, and to pass trail skills to the next generation of volunteers. You do not need to own a horse, and you do not need prior trail-building experience, to take part.

The Two Halves of the Mission

BCHW's name signals its dual purpose, and the two parts reinforce each other.

Education

The educational side covers how trails are built and kept usable: water drainage, tread shape, switchback design, safe use of hand tools and crosscut saws, and how to work around stock animals. Training is typically delivered through chapter-level workshops, field days, and certification courses. Some skills—like crosscut saw operation on federal land—require formal certification, which the organization helps members obtain.

Volunteer Trail Maintenance

The volunteer side is the fieldwork. Work parties go out on scheduled days to address specific problems on specific trails. The output is tangible: a passable route where a storm had closed one, a creek crossing that no longer washes out, a section of tread that stops eroding.

What Trail Work Actually Looks Like

Trail maintenance is less glamorous and more varied than many newcomers expect. Typical tasks include:

  • Logout: Cutting and removing fallen trees from the trail corridor using hand saws or certified crosscut crews.
  • Brushing: Clearing overgrown vegetation back to the trail's designed width so riders and stock can pass.
  • Tread repair: Rebuilding or smoothing the walking surface, fixing ruts, and restoring the trail's outslope so water sheds off.
  • Drainage work: Cleaning or building water bars, rolling dips, and ditches to move water off the trail before it erodes.
  • Structure maintenance: Repairing or replacing turnpikes, retaining walls, and simple bridges.
  • Signage and corridor clearing: Re-establishing sightlines and marking routes.

The tools are often hand tools—Pulaskis, McLeods, shovels, loppers, and saws—because many backcountry locations do not allow motorized equipment. That is part of why volunteer labor matters so much: the work is labor-intensive and hard to accomplish with machinery alone.

Why Equestrian-Led Maintenance Matters

Horse and pack-stock users have a direct stake in trail conditions. Trails that fall into disrepair can become impassable for stock, and once a route is effectively closed to pack and saddle use, reopening it is far harder than maintaining it. By organizing riders to do the maintenance themselves, BCHW helps keep trails legitimately open to equestrian use and demonstrates responsible stewardship to land managers. That credibility matters when agencies make decisions about access.

Who Can Participate

Participation is broader than the name might suggest:

  • Non-riders are welcome. Many volunteers contribute labor without owning or bringing a horse.
  • Beginners are welcome. No prior trail-building experience is required; training and experienced crew leaders provide the on-ramp.
  • Youth and families often participate through chapter activities, subject to age and safety guidelines for specific tools.
  • Horse owners can sometimes bring stock to help pack tools and materials into remote work sites, but this is not a requirement for most work parties.

If a task requires special certification, the organization generally provides a path to get it rather than expecting you to arrive qualified.

From Interest to Work Party: A General Path

The exact steps vary by chapter, but the usual sequence looks like this:

  1. Find your local chapter. BCHW is organized into regional chapters; the one nearest you is your practical entry point.
  2. Reach out. Contact the chapter to ask about upcoming work parties, training days, and what to bring.
  3. Attend an orientation or training. This is where you learn safety expectations, tool handling, and the specific protocols for the land you will be working on.
  4. Sign up for a work party. Events are typically scheduled in advance, with a meeting point and a description of the day's project.
  5. Show up prepared. Expect to bring water, food, work gloves, sturdy boots, weather-appropriate layers, and any personal safety gear the organizers specify.
  6. Build skills over time. Many volunteers start with brushing and drainage work and later pursue saw certification or crew-leader roles.

Practical Considerations Before You Commit

  • Physical demands vary. Some projects are close to a road; others require hiking or riding miles in. Ask about the access and terrain before signing up.
  • Weather and season shape the calendar. Work is often concentrated in snow-free months, and some projects are weather-dependent.
  • Land agency rules apply. Work on federal, state, or local lands follows that agency's requirements, which is why training and certification exist.
  • Your time is the main contribution. There is no need to bring specialized equipment; organizers typically supply tools.

Getting Current Details

Schedules, chapter contacts, training calendars, and membership information change over time, so the reliable move is to go straight to BCHW's own channels—its website and the individual chapter pages—for the latest work party listings and contact information. If you are unsure where to start, contacting the chapter closest to the trails you ride is the most direct route into the program.

In short: BCHW turns interested people—riders and non-riders alike—into trained volunteers who keep Washington's backcountry trails open and usable, and it gives beginners a structured way to learn the work by doing it alongside experienced crews.