Recreational trails in national forests are falling further into disrepair and improvement isn’t likely without policy changes at the Forest Service, according to the agency’s internal assessment.
The assessment, first reported Tuesday by The Washington Post, was drawn from 290 agency staffers — mostly district-level employees — who were asked to review the 193-million-acre system’s expansive network of public trails.
“Public access, visitor satisfaction, and recreation-based economic contributions will continue to decline in 2026 and beyond without direction to prioritize investments in recreation generally and the trails program specifically,” the assessment said.
The report recommended resuming seasonal hiring that was halted in the final months of the Biden administration, increasing grants and contracting that in some cases the Trump administration has suspended, and improving communication.
