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For immediate release · May 21, 2026

Trail Sherpa awarded 2026 PA Wilds Community Engagement Mini-Grant.

The PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship will distribute $80,000 across 20 organizations in the Pennsylvania Wilds region — Trail Sherpa, built by Amoeba Media in Williamsport, is one of them.

On May 21, 2026, the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship announced the recipients of the 2026 PA Wilds Community Engagement Mini-Grant program — distributing $80,000 across 20 organizations based in the 13-county Pennsylvania Wilds region. Each recipient receives $4,000 to support a community-driven project.

Trail Sherpa, built by Amoeba Media, LLC of Lycoming County, was among the awardees. The grant funds the Old Loggers Path (OLP) trail pack as the platform's primary pilot — a free, sponsored resource for one of the most-walked backpacking routes in the region.

Project — verbatim from the release

Trail Sherpa: Community Trail Pilot for Old Loggers Path

Trail Sherpa is a community-driven digital platform designed to help residents and visitors better plan, experience, and steward trails in the PA Wilds. This grant will fund the Old Loggers Path (OLP) as the primary pilot trail, with the Loyalsock Trail (LT) developed in parallel as an in-kind contribution by Amoeba Media to validate the platform architecture before the OLP public launch. The Trail Sherpa pilot will organize local knowledge into a centralized community resource where hikers, residents, and trail volunteers can share timely information to help others safely plan trips while respecting the surrounding environment and responsible recreation practices. The OLP trail pack will include offline maps, community reporting tools, and an itinerary planner for multi-day backpacking trips, all free to all users as a public resource, made possible by this grant.

A competitive cohort.

The PA Wilds Center received 66 eligible applications requesting more than $740,000 in funding — nearly ten times the amount available. Selected projects are scored on mission alignment with the PA Wilds Conservation Landscape, civic engagement, outcome measurement, and reflection of local priorities.

"For us, this demonstrates the critical need and provides additional visibility on projects bubbling up across our region. We are proud to be able to invest in these important projects, though we know our contribution is only part of the financial puzzle for many of them."
Ta Enos · Founder & CEO, PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship

The 2026 Community Engagement Mini-Grants are made possible by funding support from the Trust for Civic Life, a national philanthropic grant-making collaborative that supports community-led efforts. All funds must be expended by November 30, 2026.

2026 grant recipients (20)

Trail Sherpa is honored to be in this cohort.

  • Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau

    McKean County

  • Amoeba Media Trail Sherpa

    Lycoming County

  • Art in the Wilds, Inc.

    McKean County

  • Cameron County Chamber of Commerce

    Cameron County

  • City of Lock Haven

    Clinton County

  • Clinton County Economic Partnership

    Clinton County

  • Cosmos' Lounge

    McKean County

  • Denton Hill Ski Patrol – Nordic

    Potter County

  • East Brady Area Development Corporation

    Clarion County

  • Heath Township Sportsmen's Club

    Jefferson County

  • Johnsonburg Community Trust

    Elk County

  • Keystone Elk Country Alliance

    Multi-County

  • Lane's End Farm Creamery and The Scoop Shoppe

    Jefferson County

  • Lumber Heritage Region of Pennsylvania, Inc.

    Multi-County

  • Mechanistic Brewing

    Clarion County

  • Northern Appalachian Discovery Museum

    McKean County

  • PA Made

    Elk County

  • Rail 66 Country Trail

    Clarion County

  • The Nature Inn at Bald Eagle

    Centre County

  • Warren County Chamber of Business and Industry

    Warren County

About Trail Sherpa

Trail Sherpa is a community-driven digital platform that helps residents and visitors plan, experience, and steward trails in the Pennsylvania Wilds. The pilot focuses on two iconic backpacking routes in Lycoming County: the Old Loggers Path and the Loyalsock Trail. Built by Amoeba Media, LLC in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

About the PA Wilds

The Pennsylvania Wilds is a 13-county region — Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, Lycoming, McKean, Potter, Tioga, Warren, and northern Centre — home to the greatest concentration of public lands in the Commonwealth. The PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship is the 501(c)(3) lead nonprofit for the PA Wilds Conservation Landscape effort, a 15+ year collaborative working to establish the region as a premier outdoor recreation destination while diversifying local economies and inspiring stewardship.