The Lone Star Hiking Trail Club
The Lone Star Hiking Trail Club, Inc. was formed as a 501(c)(3) organization in 1995 on National Trails Day and is affiliated with the American Hiking Society. Our mission is (1) to educate the public about location, use and needs of the hiking trails of Texas, with emphasis on the Lone Star Hiking Trail, and (2) to provide volunteer assistance for maintenance and improvement of hiking trails. The club name reflects our emphasis on the Lone Star Hiking Trail (LSHT) and our Texas location.
The Club is a volunteer-driven organization and has a five-member board who directs many of the administrative aspects of operating a non-profit. The Board is required to meet twice yearly to conduct Club business, and usually has several interim meetings to address Club business that may arise. The Club holds a Silver Seal of Transparency on the Guidestar non-profit rating system. Teams of volunteers organize and lead hikes, trail maintenance work, and education/outreach activities.
About Our Website Security
Information security was a major consideration for us selecting ClubExpress as our provider. ClubExpress is fully PCI Compliant; credit card transactions are performed, from end-to-end, fully encrypted, so the transaction itself is secure. ClubExpress stores only what data they are allowed to store, and then it's heavily encrypted. Club Admins see only transaction amounts—not your charge information. Your personal contact information visibility is in your control. You have settings in your profile to control what is visible to the public and to Club members on the website. We take data protection very seriously and feel we have a balance between honoring your privacy preferences while also promoting a healthy hiking interest community. We encourage you to resist being totally invisible to Club membership—we’re a thriving organization when you are visible and engaged.
Our Communications
We send out email notifications of upcoming hikes and events, occasional newsletters, and Club communications. We understand that not every one is real crazy about frequent email. Faraway members (and there are many--thank you!) who normally cannot join in our events might like fewer emails. Club Members can restrict these kinds of emails without blocking the important 'transactional' emails from the membership system regarding membership, your event registrations, and (eventually) a tiny storefront. In your profile, click Privacy/Cancel/Remove and then "No, I do not want to receive these emails". You can keep up on Club happenings in our news feed, and you'll get the other important emails from our system anyway. Stay plugged in without unwanted email.
Our Connection to The Lone Star Hiking Trail Foundation
The Lone Star Hiking Trail Foundation was formed as a 501(c)(3) organization in 2023 with the objective to support the mission of the Lone Star Hiking Trail Club and provide sustainable funding for hiking trail upkeep and projects. The Foundation operates independently of the Club with a nine-member Board, all of whom must be Club members in good standing.