By Dean Sensui, Star-Bulletin
Bikers explore Manana Ridge near Pearl City.

Make contact with
the great outdoors

National Trails Day
celebrates our greenways

By Tim Ryan
Star-Bulletin

Go take a hike takes on a whole new meaning this weekend.

On Saturday, more than a million Americans are expected to hit trails nationwide in celebration of the fourth annual National Trails Day.

Created by the American Hiking Society -- a national nonprofit trail advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. -- and at the state level by the State Trails Program, National Trails Day is a nationwide day of public events aimed at increasing awareness of and appreciation for trails.

All events are planned and carried out at the local level by trail clubs, conservation and recreation organizations and land-managing agencies.

National Trails Day nationwide has grown to more than 3,000 events, including family hikes, equestrian rides, workshops, trail fairs and cleanup projects.

Trails Day was introduced to promote "Trails for All Americans," a plan for a nationwide network of trails and greenways that will come to within 15 minutes of every American's home or workplace.

In addition to a good look at the world around you, hiking provides health, fitness and recreational opportunities, and an outdoor classroom for nature study.

Federal, state, local and private paths would be linked as part of the nation's planned infrastructure of green, like the interstate highway system, but on a natural, human scale.

National Trials Day events in Hawaii:

Sierra Club/Hawaii Chapter: Sponsors hikes and walks Saturday and Sunday, for new and experienced hikers. Call Arlene Buchholz, 988-9806.

Menehune Marchers: 10K nature walk in the Kamananui Valley, Saturday at 8 a.m. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Start between 8 a.m. and noon to finish the walk by 4 p.m. The walk is free, but National Trails Day pins will be sold for $6, partly to benefit the Moanalua Gardens Foundation. Start and finish is at the Moanalua Neighborhood Park at the end of Ala Aolani Street. Call Barbara Mateo, 247-5059.

Trail maintenance: Kalawahine Trail in the Tantalus Trail Complex, 8:30 a.m. Saturday. Call Aaron Lowe, state Department of Land and Natural Resources, 973-9782, or Arlene Buchholz, 988-9806. Meet at the Forestry Baseyard at 2135 Makiki Heights Drive. Tools will be provided for those without. Work will include trail rerouting, weed-pulling, bridge construction, step construction and installation of signs and dispensers for brochures.

Displays: Information on national trails, USS Arizona Memorial, Saturday and Sunday. Call Mathew Bergstresser, National Park Service, 422-2771.