Experience The Trailmaster Live
When John McKinney says, “Take a hike,” people do.
Willingly. With smiles on their faces.
The Trailmaster’s unique insights, gained from the natural world and the “real world,” teach, inspire and entertain. Along with suggesting we all “take a hike” (in the most positive and encouraging way of course!), John shares heartwarming and hilarious tales of his trails across California and around the world.
John McKinney offers audiences inspiration on the great trail we call life with his talks, which include “Hiking the Holy Mountain,” “Hiking on the Edge,” and “Hike On.”
Organizations that ask John McKinney to share his trails and tales include:
* Corporations, Nonprofits
* Colleges
* Faith-based
* Health and Wellness
* Conservation, Parks & Recreation
* Hiker/Trails
About John McKinney
Author and hiking expert John McKinney, aka The Trailmaster, has written a thousand articles and more than 30 books about hiking including “Hiking on the Edge: Dreams, Schemes and 1600 Miles on the California Coastal Trail” and “Hiking the Holy Mountain: Tales of Monks and Miracles on the Trails of Mount Athos, Greece.”
For 17 years, John served as the Los Angeles Times Hiking Columnist. The intrepid Eagle Scout is the only one to hike and write about all 278 California state parks, and to solo hike the entire California coast.
John has served on the board of the American Hiking Society, trained hike leaders for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s “Hike for Discovery” program, and been a longtime supporter of the California State Parks Foundation and Boy Scouts of America.
The Heart and Soul of Hiking
John McKinney has spent much of his career studying and gaining an understanding of the benefits of hiking—on and off the trail—as well as what motivates and inspires hikers and would-be hikers. John’s time on the trail, meeting park rangers and hikers from all over the world, as well as field research for his many books have combined to enable him to educate people on our crucial need to connect with nature.
Trailmaster John McKinney has been featured or interviewed in major publications and media from the Los Angeles Times to NPR, and appeared on numerous regional talk shows and news programs. Many people—hikers and not—credit John’s talks, articles, books, blogs and web site, TV and radio appearances with inspiring them to hit the trail to a better life, reconnecting with nature and making positive and lasting changes in their lives.
As John explains his mission, “I’ve hiked a lot of life trails—happy and sad, easy and challenging and, frankly, more than one path to nowhere. What I’ve learned I want to share. Take a hike, and change your life!”
Choose A Presentation
Hike On
What a Lifetime of Walking Can Teach Us About the World—and Ourselves
The Trailmaster’s signature presentation: a lively evening of stories gathered from a lifetime spent wandering California and the trails we call life.
California State Parks
The Greatest Park System You’ve Never Explored
Join the only person crazy enough to visit, hike, and write about all 280 California State Parks and hear the stories only their trails could reveal.
Hiking on the Edge
Dreams, Schemes, and 1,600 Miles Along the California Coast
Join The Trailmaster for the remarkable story of a solo journey along the edge of California—and the unforgettable people, places, and controversies revealed along the way.
Hiking the Holy Mountain
Tales of Monks and Miracles on the Trails of Mt. Athos, Greece
A spiritual adventure, a tale of adoption, and the story of an epiphany and miracle that forever changed my life.
Father Serra and Me
Separating the Man from the Myth Along California’s Mission Trail
Join me for a screening of my documentary film and a conversation about one of California’s most influential—and controversial—historical figures.
Plan an Event
The Trailmaster Live presentations are a natural fit for libraries, museums, historical societies, California State Parks, hiking and outdoor organizations, colleges and universities, lifelong learning programs, book clubs, service clubs, faith communities, conferences, and community organizations.
Whether speaking to an intimate gathering or a full auditorium, John enjoys sharing stories that spark conversation long after the evening ends.
About John McKinney
Learn more about John, his books, films, and the journeys that shaped The Trailmaster.
Event Information
Programs typically run 45 to 60 minutes and are tailored to the audience and venue. Depending on the topic, presentations may include storytelling, photographs, film clips, and opportunities for questions and conversation.
Many events also include time to meet John, continue the conversation, and purchase autographed books.
Let’s Talk
Interested in bringing The Trailmaster Live to your organization?
