Syracuse to host International Trails Symposium in April

Some of the best trails minds in the world will gather in Syracuse at the end of April for the 2019 International Trails Symposium. Hosted by American Trails, this biennial event will host leaders in the trails industry from across North America and around the world. The International Trails Symposium (ITS) will be held in the Oncenter Convention Center in downtown Syracuse, and will have more than 500 attendees gather to discuss trails and a range of issues surrounding the development and promotion of trails. As ongoing projects are poised to close the gap in the Erie Canalway Trail across Syracuse by the end of 2020, the city provides an ideal setting for hosting this remarkable gathering of trails leaders.

A jam-packed schedule for the three-day conference will feature dozens of breakout sessions discussing all aspects of trail planning, development, construction, maintenance, promotion, and more. The sessions will also feature a keynote address from a prominent New York State official. In addition to the breakout sessions, the Professional Trail Builders Association (PTBA) will offer a series of hands-on workshops focusing on the skills involved in sustainable design, planning, construction, and maintenance of trails. This program will create a “legacy” of the ITS and the PTBA Sustainable Trails Workshop. Beyond the PTBA workshops, an overnight hike and paddle trip in the Adirondacks will be held the weekend before the conference as will various other mobile workshops exploring trails in the greater Central New York area.