Trails for Troops

The Southern Conservation Trust is excited to reintroduce our Trails for Troops program, a 12 mile ruck in Fayetteville, GA.

Date: April 15, 2023

Parking: 8:00 am

Start Time: 8:30 am

Please park at the south side of the Fayette County Public Library parking lot, and follow the signs up the trail.

On April 15, 2023, Veterans, First-Responders and supporters are invited to join us as we relaunch the program with a 12-mile rucksack hike through Fayetteville. The ruck will begin at the Fayette Environmental Education Center at 305 Beauregard Boulevard in Fayetteville.

Trails for Troops is a Veteran designed program for Vets & First-Responders to reap the benefits of being outdoors in a camaraderie group setting. Group-based recreational experiences and spending time in restorative natural environments significantly positively impact veterans, especially those with disabilities such as PTSD.

The 12-mile ruck is one of the many recreational activities that Trails for Troops will host; others include trail runs, nature hikes, and boot-camp-style workouts. Rucking is a common military exercise that involves carrying a load over a distance, usually at a relatively fast pace. The event on April 15 will be more civilian-friendly; participants will choose their weight to carry and will be moving at a slower pace. Beginning at the Fayette Environmental Education Center, the group will cover 12 miles through Sams Lake Bird Sanctuary, The Ridge Nature Area, and ending at the Fayette Environmental Education Center.

This event is free to participate in, and participants will receive a Trails for Troops patch after completing the ruck.

A big thanks to our event sponsors: The Rotary Club of Peachtree City and Coweta-Fayette EMC, and Cryoplace, and our event partners, The Eden Project, City of Fayetteville, and Ruck 770.