Meet the Trail Fairy Fund
If you’ve ever wandered down a trail and thought, “Wow, this is awesome,” you might have a little trail magic to thank. Around here, that magic has a name: the Trail Fairy Fund.
The Trail Fairy Fund supports trail building, maintenance, and trail-related initiatives in Bonner and Boundary Counties. It’s been quietly working behind the scenes since 2019.
“Most people don’t even know that this fund exists, but it has actually been around for years,” said Katie Cox, KLT Executive Director.
Think of it like a hidden helper, sprinkling just the right amount of support where it’s needed most. For instance, the Trail Fairy Fund supported the building of “Big Buck,”a wide trail at the Sled Hill recognized for its deer icon trail marker. It also made possible the recently published Syringa Trails maps at each kiosk made by local cartographer Lee France.
Organizations that operate in and around Bonner and Boundary County have the opportunity to apply for projects to the Trail Fairy Fund – did you know that?
You can add a little sparkle of your own by donating to the Trail Fairy Fund through Innovia Foundation. Donate NOW or visit innovia.org, click GIVE NOW and search North Idaho Trails Collaborative Fund. It’s not as glittery of a name as “Trail Fairy Fund,” but po-tay-to-po-tah-to.
Meet the Map Maker: Lee France
Local adventurer and artist Lee France knows a thing or two about trails. He’s a multiple-use recreationist (that means he hikes, rides, nordic skis and explores in all kinds of ways), the Senior Manager of Technical Cartography at OnX, and the creator of the 2025/2026 Syringa Trails System map.
“I love making maps, especially maps for people to go and explore the outdoors,” Lee said.
When he was invited to create the Syringa map, it was a perfect fit. These are the same trails he enjoys with his own family and grew up on, so he knew just how to bring them to life on paper. His maps don’t just show you where to go, they invite you to get outside and discover something new.
Also, now with his amazing mapping skills you can scan a QR code at the bottom of the map and automatically find exactly where you are at on the trails with Avenza.
And he’s not done yet. Lee is now working on a map for the Lake Pend Oreille Water Trail project, helping even more people find their way to adventure.
Whether you’re hiking, biking, or just out for a stroll, the Trail Fairy Fund is out there working its magic. And now that you know its secret, you can be part of the story too.