Joe Gibson, trail builder, writer, and Founder/Editor of Trail Crew Stories joins Maddie Pellman on Who Runs This Park: Park Enthusiasts Edition to dive into the hidden world of trail design. Joe’s journey into the trail world began with a single volunteer day, leading to a career spent shaping the way people move through landscapes—often without them realizing it. He explains how great trail work is meant to be invisible, drawing a fascinating comparison between Disneyland’s intentional illusions and the subtle deceptions that allow national park visitors to experience nature without seeing the engineering beneath their feet.

We explore the art and science of trail building, from positive and negative control points to the stark differences between East Coast and West Coast trails. Joe shares insights from his early forays into writing about trails, his experience as project lead for The Parks Project coffee table book, and the whirlwind road trips he took to interview as many people as possible for his upcoming book. We also discuss the global rise of long-distance trails, including the Transcaucasian Trail in Armenia and Georgia, and the evolving role of trails as both recreational pathways and vital lifelines in the wilderness.

We also talk about the threat trails and those that maintain them are under with regards to the recent layoffs in the park and forest service. As Joe says, it is a hard time to be a federal employee -- next time you see a trail crew member or a park ranger, tell them thank you! To write to your reps about the recent layoffs and to further protect our parks, here are a few resources: 

• Tell Congress to Protect National Park Service Staff
• Tell Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to protect national monuments from oil, gas, and mining
• Tell Congress national parks are worth fighting for
• Tell Congress to fund historic and cultural sites nationwide
• Tell Congress to protect wildlife in national parks

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Who Runs This Park is produced by Maddie Pellman with music by Danielle Bees.