Hit the Trail and Walk N’ Roll to combine this May

Hit the Trail is a month-long community event where participants can log miles hiking, running, biking or riding horseback on the Whitefish Trail to help support local trails and land conservation.

This year, Whitefish Legacy Partners, Hit the Trail organizers, will partner with Connect Whitefish’s Walk N’ Roll initiative for a dual event.  

“Our Hit the Trail challenge encourages the community to improve physical and emotional health through outdoor recreation while supporting our local trails and reconnecting in nature after a long winter,” said Cynthia Ingelfinger, Legacy Partners director of development. 

Throughout May, the organization will tally logged trail miles and as well as human powered commuter trips and celebrate progress with weekly updates and raffle prizes. 

Last year, participants crisscrossed the entire 47-mile Whitefish Trail network and logged almost 29,000 miles in 31 days. The Wave earned top honors among the Workplace Teams and proudly took home the coveted Shelldon the Turtle trophy by logging almost 1,050 miles. 

Connect Whitefish’s Walk N’ Roll initiative is a month-long campaign encouraging locals to walk, bike or roll instead of driving to reduce congestion in city limits.  

Walk N’ Roll combined with Hit the Trail aim to promote active human powered transportation, healthy lifestyles and stronger community connections. Mud season is behind us, larch trees are budding, and the trails are in great shape. 

People can sign up as individuals, or form and join workplace, school or community group teams. Trail miles and in town trips can be logged using an online form whitefishlegacy.org/events  

Miles can also be logged on a paper log sheet or by joining Hit the Trail Challenge Strava Club. 

2025 Whitefish Trail Hit the Trail Challenge sponsors include Logan Health Whitefish, IV element, Explore Whitefish, Park Side Credit Union, BlueCross BlueShield of Montana, and The Wave.  

Prize donations are from Sportsman & Ski Haus, Glacier Cyclery, REI, Haskill Creek Farms, The Toggery, Dee-O-Gee Kalispell, Rockfish, MT Coffee Traders, Glacier Restaurant Group, DREAM Adaptive Recreation, The Wave, and Montana E-Bikes.