NED MACKAY

MacKay is one of California’s greatest ambassadors to parklands. As a 15-year member of the volunteer Trail Safety Patrol, he has spent more than 7,500 hours providing assistance of any kind to those in need, ranging from guiding them to safety, directions, water or interpretive information about parks.

He is best known at the East Bay Regional Park District, where he is one of a handful to have hiked all of the district’s 65 parks. MacKay has also participated in hikes of all levels, from easy strolls to ambitious backpacking trips across Yosemite National Park and much of the Sierra Nevada, and beyond across the western U.S. With a group of friends, he has rafted rivers in California, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Arizona and Alaska.

His outreach to the public includes writing stories in many newspapers that detail park programs and natural history. While MacKay’s scope of travel ranges far, his accomplishments in the outdoors come second to him: He seeks always to help anybody in need, and in turn, he has shared his love for nature and wild places with thousands.