As a trail user:

• Sample the trail close to home for a day hike with friends, family, or solo. If you live in a BCT town, hike it border to border. Most towns can be done in one day; all can be done in two days. Spot a car at one end, or hike it round-trip.

• Organize a group to traverse all or a portion of the 150 miles of dedicated trail in a series of day hikes.

  Recently, one such group completed the entire BCT walking between 5 and 10 miles one day per month. BCA and/or the local BCT contact will be happy to assist with maps and advise on what other folks have done and how to handle sections that aren't formally open.

• Help us keep the trail guide and maps accurate, and help us keep the trail in good condition, by reporting anything you've noticed on the trail or on the maps that requires attention. Comments from both experienced hikers and those unfamiliar with the trail are often very helpful. Please contact us at

• Identify the local BCA organization in your town and join it or offer assistance with monitoring a section of BCT, such as maintaining trail markers, cleaning up trash, clearing obstructions, or going out right after a snowfall and packing down the trail for skis or snowshoes); Local organizations often welcome help with trail relocation or construction work, such as enhancing wetlands crossings, drainage, etc.

• Work on establishing linkages to other trails and open space reservations in your and neighboring towns. Our website, e-mail, and phone will help you identify local contacts

• Lead nature walks and hikes on the BCT. Use your skills to involve scouting, school, senior citizen or other community organizations in using the BCT

• Give political and financial support to local land trusts and organizations that try to preserve open space.

• If there is no local trail group or land trust in your town, work to establish one. Contact the BCA office for suggestions and sources of information.

Become involved in BCA circuit-wide activites. Most of the Bay Circuit Trail work goes on at the local level, but sometimes there are major projects such as events, political activism, regional trail network, and speakers bureaus that welcome volunteer work.

Whether you live in a Bay Circuit town or not, join and support BCA's four statewide and eight regional member organizations that work to expand protected open space and trail networks.