Invite People to Your Vibrant Community
What does it mean for a community to be a trail town or a destination? A trail town is a community — large or small — that aligns itself with a trail connected to or running through it. But it’s more than that. A trail town benefits from the natural assets provided by the trail and receives economic vitalization from its association. The connection to the trail becomes part of the community culture — valuing and celebrating the trail and its assets.
Are you thinking about implementing a trail town initiative for your community, one that gives equal thought to people, the planet, and profit? Amy Camp is the guide you need.
Trail Town Planning & Consulting
A trail town initiative can involve one or more communities. This kind of program is usually intended to help the towns alongside a trail or waterway better connect to their natural assets to support the local economy and garner a strong community trail culture.
Amy has worked with communities across North America to plan, consult, and train local leaders on implementing trail town initiatives. She has been at the center of the trails movement for 16 years and is actively involved in the placemaking and outdoor recreation tourism industries.
Outdoor Recreation Economy Placemaking
A comprehensive understanding of the community and natural assets is vital for a successful outdoor recreation economy project or nature-based placemaking initiative.
Amy supports local leaders on outdoor recreation economy research and assessment, placemaking consultation, and helping the community shift to a hospitality culture.
Community Engagement
Any trail town initiative, regional development, or placemaking project is tightly connected with the town’s residents. Communicating, engaging, and understanding the needs and support of the community stakeholders is crucial.
Amy helps local leaders and developers with effective community engagement that aids their project. She strongly believes in the value of genuine communication and listening to community members so that projects pursued are always in the community’s best interest.
Destination Marketing
A trail town or placemaking initiative isn’t complete until people are invited in. When there isn’t a strategic marketing plan in place, cyclists, trail enthusiasts, and outdoor tourists will zip by without visiting. Worse yet, residents or newcomers might also miss out on experiencing the natural assets in the community.
With a comprehensive knowledge of the outdoor recreation economy, Amy helps local leaders and communities create destination marketing strategies, events, assets, and experiences. “Inviting people in” is at the core of how Amy markets trail communities and boosts the outdoor recreation economy.
Workshop & Meeting Facilitation
As a professional coach certified by the International Coach Federation, Amy conducts enriching workshops and facilitates effective meetings based on client needs. She is also available for speaking opportunities at conferences and trainings. Her specialty is in trail town planning and implementation.
Sample Topics:
- Trail Towns
- Strategic Planning
- Leveraging Natural Assets
- Outdoor Recreation Tourism
- Community Engagement
Trail Tourism & Placemaking Highlights
Amy has supported diverse clients in the environmental, conservation, outdoor recreation, and tourism sectors achieving their goals by successfully leveraging natural assets in their region.
Highlight | Learn more |
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Amy designed and helped launch Kawarthas Northumberland’s Trent-Severn Trail Town Program along the 386-km Trent-Severn Waterway in Ontario, Canada. | Visit the Trent-Severn Trail Towns. |
Amy assessed the first decade of the trail town movement for Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. | Visit the Trail Town resource page on the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy website to see how Amy’s research contributed to RTC’s trail-building toolbox. |
Amy created a marketing strategy for Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition (IHTC) and developed its trail trips and story maps. The vision of the IHTC is to establish the Industrial Heartland as a premier destination offering a 1,500-miles-plus multi-use trail network experience. | Check out IHTC’s trail trips and story maps. |
Amy was contracted by the Mon River Towns Program to create a “Mon River Experience.” The Rebel Rebel Float Trip experience offered a themed kayaking trip centered on the historic Whiskey Rebellion and attracted people to the Monongahela River. | Learn more about Amy’s takeaways on the Rebel Rebel Float Trip. |
Get started on elevating natural assets to strengthen your region.
Wondering how a trail town initiative or outdoor recreation placemaking might benefit your community? Learn more about the benefits of trails and leveraging natural assets from Amy’s book, Deciding on Trails: 7 Practices of Healthy Trail Towns.