Dori King’s relationship with the Tahoe Rim Trail Association started with a simple goal: hike the Tahoe Rim Trail.
It has since grown into something much bigger.
Dori first discovered the TRTA in 2022 when she learned about the Association’s guided thru-hike program. That August, she completed her first journey around the 174-mile loop as a participant. Just two months later, she returned to the trail for an eight-day solo thru-hike.
That trip also brought an unexpected TRTA connection. While hiking near Watson Lake, Dori met longtime TRTA volunteer and current Board Executive Vice President Anna Lijphart for the first time.
By the following year, Dori had gone from being guided on the trail to guiding others, volunteering with the TRTA to lead day hikes and a thru-hike in 2023.
After spending so much time experiencing the Tahoe Rim Trail, Dori began thinking about what it takes to make those experiences possible in the first place.
“After spending so much time enjoying the 165-mile loop, I feel a profound sense of gratitude for the trail and the TRTA,” Dori said. “Realizing that the pristine conditions, clear signage, and pathways do not happen by accident inspired me to step up and ensure future generations enjoy the same experience.”
That desire to pay it forward ultimately led Dori to another role with the organization. In September 2025, she joined the Tahoe Rim Trail Association’s Board of Directors.
Finding More Than a Trail
Dori’s connection to the outdoors began long before she discovered the Tahoe Rim Trail.
Growing up in rural Massachusetts, exploring the woods helped spark a lifelong love of being outside. Since then, her adventures have taken her far beyond Tahoe, including backpacking the High Sierra Trail and Nepal’s Annapurna Circuit and completing cycling trips across multiple continents.
But her time living in Tahoe gave the outdoors an even deeper significance.
“Having access to outdoor spaces has always been important for me emotionally, physically, and psychologically,” Dori said. “Living in Tahoe for a few years, with access to such amazing trails, was one of the best things for my mental and emotional health.”
It is an experience she wants others to have the opportunity to discover for themselves.
“I want everyone to have an opportunity to experience the peace, joy, adventure, excitement, and growth that comes from a trail as beautiful, accessible, and treasured as the TRT.”
Paying It Forward
Dori’s decision to serve on the Board is also rooted in seeing the challenges facing the places she loves.
She has witnessed the impacts of increased visitation, a changing climate, and wildfire threats throughout the Tahoe Basin. Those experiences strengthened her desire to pair her personal passion for the outdoors with the skills she has developed professionally.
As a Technical Program Manager at Google, Dori brings more than 15 years of strategic planning and project management experience to the TRTA Board. She is also an experienced fundraiser who has supported causes including AIDS/LifeCycle and the TRTA’s own Raise the Rim Challenge.
Dori was also inspired by the people behind the organization, including Executive Director Lindsey Schultz, whose career with the TRTA began as an AmeriCorps member in 2011 before she eventually moved into the organization’s top leadership role.
“That level of lifelong passion and grassroots commitment is exactly what makes the Tahoe Rim Trail Association so special,” Dori said.
For Dori, giving back is a way to honor the experiences the Tahoe Rim Trail has already given her while helping ensure the trail can offer those same opportunities to someone else years from now.
Her own journey with the TRTA shows just how many forms that support can take. She first experienced the trail as a participant, returned to explore it on her own, helped others experience it as a volunteer guide, supported the organization through fundraising, and today helps guide its future as a member of the Board.
Every person who hikes, volunteers, gives, or becomes a member of the Tahoe Rim Trail Association becomes part of that same story. Your support helps care for the trail today and ensures future generations have the opportunity to find their own peace, adventure, and connection along the Tahoe Rim Trail.
