Two decades of guiding souls back to the wild.
Wildwood Trails was born in 2005 when founder Michael Hawthorne, a former U.S. Forest Service ranger, decided to share his deep love of America's woodlands with the world. What began as weekend hikes for a handful of friends has grown into the nation's most trusted forest tourism brand.
Today, our team of 42 certified naturalists, expedition coordinators, and conservation specialists guides thousands of travelers annually through 48 of America's most extraordinary forest ecosystems from Alaska's Tongass to Florida's Apalachicola.
Every tour we operate follows strict Leave No Trace principles. We donate to forest conservation partners and have planted over 250,000 native trees through our reforestation program.
Every decision we make is filtered through one question: does this protect the forest for future generations?
We don't just show you the forest we teach you to read it, understand its language, and become its advocate.
We partner with local indigenous communities, small lodges, and rural businesses on every route we operate.
Wilderness First Responder training, satellite communicators, and decades of expertise on every single tour.
From hand-picked campsites to organic locally-sourced meals, we obsess over every detail of your experience.
No staged photo-ops, no over-tourism. Just real wilderness, real moments, real connections.
Recognized leaders in sustainable adventure tourism.
Top 25 Eco-Tour Operators in North America.
Authorized commercial outfitter on 31 national forests.
ATTA Gold Standard Award 2023 & 2024 winner.