Any time humans are out on the land there will be environmental impact, and climbing is no exception. But Access Fund has the expertise to help local climbing communities manage these impacts so that climbing landscapes can thrive.
Ten Sleep, Wyoming. Ancestral lands of Crow, Cheyenne, and Sioux. © Kris Ugarriza
We work with land managers and local climbing advocates to protect and conserve all the beautiful places that make the climbing experience so special. That means rolling up our sleeves and working in the dirt to build sustainable trails and climbing areas in some of the most iconic landscapes in America. It also means educating and inspiring the climbers who visit those landscapes to minimize their impacts.
Access Fund Conservation Teams
Access Fund’s Conservation Teams work with local climbing communities across the country to rehabilitate popular climbing areas and equip them with smart recreation infrastructure that minimizes our impacts and protects natural and cultural resources. This technical trail building and conservation work is designed to set climbing areas up for long-term sustainable access that protects the environment. Thousands of climbers around the country participate in this work each year through our Adopt a Crag program. To request a Conservation Team visit, contact stewardship@accessfund.org.
Access Fund Conservation Team helps restore popular approach trail at Cathedral Ledge, NH. © Cait Bourgault
The Access Fund Conservation Team program is made possible by the generous support of:
Access Fund Climber Stewards
Access Fund’s Climber Stewards are on-site at popular climbing areas to provide visitors with information and resources to help them minimize their environmental impacts. The chief goal is education, connecting with climbers in the field where outreach takes on a different dimension. Climber Stewards offer free morning coffee at trailheads and visit crags throughout the day to connect with climbers as they recreate. The Climber Stewards program, which currently serves the New River Gorge region in West Virginia, the Red River Gorge area in Kentucky, and Indian Creek, Utah, builds on the success of similar programs around the country.
“It’s refreshing to know the Climber Stewards have the very best interest of our natural resources at heart with this program,” says Brandy L. Acord, Summersville Lake manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “Their promotion and education of impact reduction, Leave No Trace ethics, and general courtesy at our heavily utilized climbing areas is helping shift how the visiting public uses and respects Summersville Lake.
Indian Creek Climber Stewards serve up free morning coffee while educating visiting climbers on how to minimize their impacts.
The Access Fund Climbers Stewards program is made possible by the generous support of:
Adopt a Crag
Our Adopt a Crag program unites climbing communities across the nation in partnerships with land managers to care for their local climbing areas. Adopt a Crag events rally volunteers from the local community to do litter clean-ups, trail restoration and construction, erosion control, and invasive weed removal. If you’re interested in hosting an Adopt a Crag event, visit the Climb Responsibly section for resources and guidance. Volunteer opportunities are listed on our Event Calendar.
Local climbing organizations all across the country organize volunteer Adopt a Crag days to care for their local crags. © Rob Dawson
The Adopt a Crag program is made possible by the generous support of:
