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The Kansas Trails Council is a nonprofit organization whose roots can be traced back to the mid 1970's when a group of hiking, backpacking, horseback riding and canoeing enthusiasts in central and eastern Kansas joined forces to develop the organization to promote, develop, and maintain horse and hiking trails in Kansas. Mountain biking has more recently come in to the fold of the Trails Council. A board of directors nominated and elected by the trails council membership is responsible for overseeing a private trust fund left to the Council for the maintenance and/or expansion of existing trails and the creation of new trails for horse riders, hikers, and mountain bikers. The members of the board of directors serve as liaisons to county governments, the Corps of Engineers and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks for the maintenance and development of the trails on county, State Park, and Corps land.
The overriding consideration of the Kansas Trails Council is to ensure that proper steps are taken in the development of trails to protect the ecology, to protect against erosion, and to preserve the natural beauty of the land where trails are established. The directors of the board serve as advisors in this respect to make certain that proper procedures are followed in the maintenance of existing trails and the creation of new trails.
The work of the board of directors and other council members who serve as trail coordinators is strictly voluntary. Trail coordinators volunteer many hours of hard work to trail maintenance and/or development and must rely heavily upon the voluntary help of both members and nonmembers. Thousands of man-hours have been required to develop and maintain the trails currently under the auspices of the Kansas Trails Council.
Anyone who loves the great outdoors and regularly hikes or rides the trails of the eastern half of Kansas is encouraged to become a member of KTC. Yearly dues for membership in the Council are $10.00 and are used to maintain the trails and support the efforts of the board of directors to provide the best trails possible in the state of Kansas. A portion of the dues is also set aside to publish a quarterly newsletter and also to support this web site. If you are interested in joining
KTC feel free to make a copy of the membership form available on this site and mail it along with your dues to the address indicated on the form. It is money well spent and a cause and organization well worth your time.
The Current Philosophy of This Organization
***[Editor's note: This philosophical statement was written by Richard Douthit and approved by the board of directors in November of 1996. Richard was a longtime member of the Council and contributed much to the cause of KTC. Richard was secretary of the board at the time that he wrote this statement.]
The Kansas Trails Council is a trails organization. Although we do from time to time sponsor activities, such sponsorships are secondary. Our primary purpose is the design, development, and maintenance of trails for all kinds of users. From the beginning KTC has included "backpackers, hikers, bicyclists, canoeists, horseback riders, educators, historians," and other users, and part of our work has always been the coordination of everyone's efforts to provide trails which meet a variety of needs. Frequently we have sponsored active cooperation between organized volunteers and various government agencies. In recent years we have, inevitably, moved on to developing local, state, and national policies, which guide and assist us in achieving our primary purpose. We have also begun to accumulate and invest financial resources to support and enhance our work. We have long since incorporated the Council "in furtherance of its declared scientific and educational purposes." We intend to continue our work through the 21st century.
[In memory of Richard's service and dedication to the efforts of the Kansas Trails Council]
KTC invites you to visit our site often for new information about the Council and the trails in our state . If you are not a member of KTC, but love hiking, backpacking, canoeing, horseback riding, or mountain biking please accept this open and standing invitation to become a member of our group and contribute something lasting and meaningful to our state.