No Trace Trails
From March to September 2023, Tori McGruer, Ph.D., and Macy Gustavus, M.S., surveyed trash and microplastics along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) while hiking 2,650 miles from Southern California to Northern Washington. This 5+ month trip is the largest standardized survey of its kind and will provide a baseline assessment of the characteristics and quantity of trash and plastic pollution on trails.
Impact at a Glance
251
waste surveys
1,000+
pieces of trash collected
1+
peer-reviewed publication
Read the publication
Explore the peer-reviewed research resulting from the No Trace Trails project.
Follow their journey
Learn more about the 2,650-mile trek along the Pacific Crest Trail and the fieldwork behind the data.
Support this work
Help sustain ongoing research on trash and microplastics on trails through a donation.
