Ira Spring, founder of the Spring Trust for Trails, started his career as a photographer in 1946. He formed a partnership with his twin brother Bob, and together the two set out to photograph Washington State as it had never been photographed before. Photos and stories by Bob and Ira Spring were found in magazines and newspapers around the country. Books and commercial assignments followed, all with an outdoor theme.

In 1966, Ira co-authored 100 Hikes in Western Washington to help hikers find their way through the mazes of logging roads to the trailheads, a real problem at the time. Much to his surprise, the book sold very well. Concerned with the number of people on just a few trails, Ira and Harvey Manning teamed up to create the 100 Hikes Series as it exists today.

Once the hike books were published, it was easy to track the fate of the 100 trails. The number of trails lost to logging, road building, and land development turned Ira into a trail activist. He has made several trips to Washington D.C. to lobby for trail funding, written hundreds of letters, served on planning committees, and given numerous speeches in an attempt to raise awareness of the need for trails and problems associated with their maintenance and funding.

The Spring Trust for Trails is a natural extension of his tireless efforts to preserve hiking opportunities in Washington State. He is aided in this task by seven trustees.

Ira Spring has been supporting the maintenance of trails in Washington by donating his entire royalties from his 100 Hikes books to the Spring Trust for Trails fund. In December of 2000, the IRS granted the fund an official 501 (C) 3 non-profit organization status. The fund can now offer grants and receive donations from like-minded trail users who wish to support hiking opportunities through trail building and maintenance.