2025
International Trails Summit

More than 850 attendees from 17 countries gathered for the 2025 International Trails Summit—a global celebration of learning, connection, and trail-centered inspiration.

The event opened with a powerful keynote by James Edward Mills, setting the stage for three days packed with thought-provoking sessions and meaningful engagement. Whether it was exchanging ideas during networking events or watching Governor Evers operate a mini excavator at the Dirt Demo, the energy throughout the Summit was electric.

Memorable moments included Offsite Day with hands-on equipment demos and immersive field learning, youth participation during NICA Trail Day, and the World Trails Film Festival, which highlighted inspiring global stories of perseverance, community, and the unifying magic of trails.

We’re deeply grateful to every trail builder, advocate, and enthusiast who brought their dedication and insight to Wisconsin. With momentum like this, the future of trails is not just promising—it’s unstoppable.

A large conference room filled with many attendees sitting at round tables, facing a stage with large screens. The ceiling has a geometric pattern with multiple lights.

A large crowd of people gathered in a conference hall with colorful ceiling decorations, some standing and some walking around booths and exhibits.

A group of people wearing hard hats and outdoor clothing are working together on a construction or archaeological project in a wooded area. They are gathered around a large rock foundation and tools, inspecting and discussing their work.

Group of four smiling people at an indoor conference, holding drinks, with conference banners and other attendees in the background.

Group of people outdoors in a field, some wearing hard hats, posing around a small bulldozer, with trees and a cloudy sky in the background.

A man with a beard, wearing a green cap and blue jacket, standing in front of a large projection screen at a conference or presentation, with a group of people seated and listening in a large room with beige walls.

A small white Bobcat E20 compact excavator on dirt, with people gathered in the background at a construction or outdoor event on a cloudy day.

A man standing at a podium labeled 'Monona Terrace' speaking to an audience in a large room with a red curtain backdrop. There are banners with logos behind him, and the audience is visible in the foreground.

A large conference room filled with many people sitting at round tables, engaged in discussions. The room has a high ceiling with numerous lights and large windows offering a view of a water body and a blue sky outside.

Two men are smiling and chatting at a social event with a crowd in the background. One man with gray hair and a beard is holding a glass of beer. The other man, wearing glasses and a colorful shirt, is seen from behind.

Four people standing outdoors near a tent and picnic tables, smiling

Four men sit around a table in a conference room, engaged in conversation, with one standing and leaning over to speak to three others. The room has large glass windows and a high ceiling with concealed lighting.

Conference Proceedings

These proceedings capture the shared knowledge and resources from the Summit, including downloadable presentations and session summaries. Whether you're a seasoned trail builder or a first-time attendee, we hope this archive serves as a valuable reference and inspiration for your ongoing work in creating accessible, sustainable, and inclusive trail systems.

View Proceedings

Thank you 2025 Sponsors + Exhibitors!

Summit Sponsor ($15,000)

Tahoe Sponsor
($10,000)

Graphic with green background and black text that reads "CRO Planning & Design" and smaller text below that says "Communities | Recreation | Open Space."

Map of Africa with a yellow route marked across it, accompanied by illustrations of a lion's head and a camel, and text reading 'Ice Age Trail Alliance'.

Supporters
($4,000)

Sierra Sponsor
($6,000)

Exhibitors

Green rectangle with bold black text that says "CRO Planning & Design" and smaller black text that says "Communities | Recreation | Open Space".

Green sign with black text reading "Dutch Crafted Solar Seating" and a yellow sunburst graphic around the letter S.

The word "Diet" written in blue, bold, capital letters.

The image features the words "QR MOVE BEYOND" with a blue arrow pointing to the right and the tagline "MOVE BEYOND" underneath, all in a stylized black and white design.

A stylized map of Australia with the words 'Great Lakes Trade & Tarducers' overlaid in a playful font, with green landmass and blue water.

Silhouettes of outdoor activities, including a mountain biker, climbers, a hiker with a backpack, and a fisherman, over a map outline of Ohio. The text reads "Dayton, Ohio, Outdoor Adventure, Capital of the Midwest."

Logos of Wisconsin Coastal Management Program and NOAA Ocean and Atmospheric Administration.

World Trails Film Festival

The World Trails Film Festival is made by and for trail-loving communities worldwide and is excited to be held in conjunction with the International Trails Summit for a second time. The Film Festival showcased a variety of films with each one coming from a different country. Themes of the films include: mental health, hand-made trails, having hope in the face of challenges, and the power of walking.

About: The World Trails Film Festival is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a nonprofit arts service organization. To learn more including how to host your own festival, visit https://trails.film.

Film line up:

Dolly’s Song (USA): Woman leader in training on cross-cut saws
Seeking Judhuri (Lebanon): Discussion of healing family story hiking
Durga: Forging a New Trail (Nepal): A Nepali woman breaks barriers in her community as a mountain guide
Building the Pamir Trail (Tajikistan): New project, quick progress update
From Biocrust with Love (USA): Biking and bio info about dirt in desert
Mountains to Sea Greenway (Taiwan): More poetic video showing diverse trail project
Sinai Trail Urgent Message (Egypt): Climate change appeal for trail project there
Twin Oaks (USA)
Breaking Trail (USA): Ice Age National Scenic Trail

Offsite Day

Thursday 4/17, 11:30 am - 4:30 pm
Babcock County Park

Held on Thursday, April 17 at Babcock County Park, the Offsite Day offered a hands-on, engaging experience for summit attendees. From 11:30 AM to 4:30 PM, participants explored over 20 exhibitors in the dirt demo area, tested trail-building equipment like mini-excavators and hand tools, and even rode a Ford Bronco on a demo course. Food trucks and a beer tent added to the lively atmosphere, with shuttles making access easy from the convention center.

Educational highlights included:

Drone Demo: live session on using drones for trail assessment, mapping, and planning.
Hand-Built Trail Techniques – A workshop on building sustainable trails using hand tools.
Crew Leadership & Safety – Guidance on pre-trip planning, safety talks, and fostering inclusive, effective teams.
Clinometer Use – A field workshop on trail layout and slope measurement to support sustainable design.
Trail Ergonomics – Hands-on instruction in proper body mechanics and tool use to prevent injury and improve efficiency.

The Offsite Day delivered valuable skills, tools, and connections in a fun and interactive outdoor setting.

NICA Partnership

Thursday 4/17, 11:30 am - 4:30 pm
Babcock County Park

20 NICA Youth ages 12-18 attend the Offsite Day and Dirt Demonstration including a panel on career pathways to working in trails, the 1 hour educational sessions, riding bikes on the track, and testing out the equipment in the Dirt Demo.

WI NICA leaders also led a session at the Summit on engaging the next generation and working with your local NICA team.

Confluence of States

PTBA and American Trails were pleased to host the Confluence of States at the 2025 International Trails Summit. State Outdoor Recreation Directors gathered at the Summit for strategy meetings, education, and networking with the trails community.

In addition to gathering as the Confluence of States, Summit events included:
- Chris Perkins, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, Plenary Session (4/15)
- Lunch with your State Outdoor Recreation Director (4/16)
- Panel discussion (4/16) on Trail Systems as Economic Drivers featuring: Nathan Reigner (Pennsylvania Office of Outdoor Recreation); Jackie Dagger (Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative); Tara McKee (Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation); Brad Garmon (Michigan Office of Outdoor Recreation Industry)

Takeover Night - Thursday 4/17

Thanks to Great Dane Brewing & Co. for hosting the Takeover night to close out the Summit on Thursday 4/17!

Attendees and the general public joined this no-host evening for drinks and delicious food within walking distance from Monona Terrace Convention Center. Great Dane graciously donated $1 to ITS for every beer purchased between 5:00pm-10:00pm!

2025 Workshops

Pre- and post-summit workshops provided an optional way for attendees to extend their learning. Workshops are hands-on, small group learning opportunities.

Featured

Apr 18

April 18, 2025

Visitor Use Management Workshop

April 18, 2025

This workshop will provide an overview of the Visitor Use Management (VUM) Framework developed by the federal Interagency Visitor Use Management Council and how it supports managing for high quality trail experiences. It will also discuss application of the VUM Framework at various scales including federal and non-federal lands, site-specific and landscape or regional. Finally, participants will have a chance to visit a nearby trail and practice identifying desired conditions and selecting management strategies in small groups.

Cost: $140

April 18, 2025

Developing Your Trail Eyes (field session)

Apr 18

April 18, 2025

Developing Your Trail Eyes (field session)

April 18, 2025

This interactive workshop explores a PTBA member-designed trail reroute proposed for a popular trail near the conference center. The 1.2-mile Woodland Trail traverses oak woodland and rolling prairie terrain at Governor Nelson State Park. Topics addressed include trail assessment, trail layout, and the architecture of trail management strategies.

Cost: $350

April 18, 2025

Real Trail Assessment: Seeing the Trail Through the Eyes of a Professional

Apr 18

April 18, 2025

Real Trail Assessment: Seeing the Trail Through the Eyes of a Professional

April 18, 2025

This 1/2 day workshop features on the trail education focused on the basics of trail assessment including erosion and user-created problems.

Cost: $250

April 18, 2025

Universal Trail Assessment Process and High Efficiency Trail Assessment Process (UTAP/HETAP)

Apr 14

April 14, 2025

Universal Trail Assessment Process and High Efficiency Trail Assessment Process (UTAP/HETAP)

April 14, 2025

This workshop will discuss the benefits of objective information, the application of UTAP, HETAP, and METAP in diverse environments, how to disseminate Trail Access Information (TAI), and how that dissemination meets the requirements of the new federal accessibility guidelines for outdoor developed areas.

Cost: $200

April 14, 2025