The American Hiking Society is a Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

-based non-profit dedicated to preserving trail

Trail

A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...

s, the areas that surround them and the hiking experience itself. It was co-founded in 1976 by Bill Kemsley, the founding editor of Backpacker (magazine)

Backpacker (magazine)

Backpacker Magazine is an American publication that features information on wilderness hiking and adventure. It has been published since 1973. Backpacker magazine is currently published by Active Interest Media and is based in Boulder, Colorado...

. The charity obtained a 4-star rating on Charity Navigator

Charity Navigator

Charity Navigator is an independent, non-profit organization that evaluates American charities. Its stated goal is "to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace by evaluating the financial health of America's largest charities."-About:...

 in 2007 and was one of the four original partners of Travelocity

Travelocity

Travelocity is an online travel agency and wholly owned subsidiary of Sabre Holdings Corporation, which was a publicly traded company until taken private by Silver Lake Partners and Texas Pacific Group in March 2007...

's Travel for Good program .

Programs

The American Hiking Society has three main avenues of action:

• Volunteerism and Outreach including Volunteer Vacations, which began in 1978 to mobilize volunteers to work on trail maintenance, and National Trails Day, which is held the first Saturday every June to spread awareness and celebrate hiking.
• Policy and Advocacy: working with Congress
  United States Congress
  The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
  
   to develop hiker-friendly legislation
  Legislation
  Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
  
  and various federal agencies on implementation.
• Trail grants and assistance: the Society provides grants to local organizations for building and maintaining trails, providing nearly $50,000 of funding in 2007 . Also, this organization heads up the Alliance of Hiking Organizations, a network of hiking and trail clubs from all over the country.