Crooked Trails was founded on the premise that tourism does not have to threaten the cultures and environments of popular destinations and fragile regions.

As an educational non-profit organization, we create true cultural exchanges that make positive contributions to host communities and have lasting effects on our travelers. Crooked Trails participants return home having learned ways to incorporate lessons from these exchanges into their own lives and communities.

We only work in communities that have invited us and on community development projects chosen by the people we visit. Our commitment to community empowerment supports the efforts of indigenous people to preserve and protect their environments and confront the challenges of their rapidly changing surroundings. With each passing year, the trust and friendship between Crooked Trails staff, program participants, and the local people we work with continue to deepen.

In cooperation with other non-governmental organizations, we operate travel programs in support of indigenous peoples in Peru, Thailand, Nepal, India, Ecuador, Kenya, and other destinations. All of our programs teach the ethics of responsible travel and ways to minimize the environmental and cultural impacts of tourism. We also educate tour operators, both at home and abroad, about how to incorporate those ethics into their programs.

We believe that we, and you, can improve cultural, ecological, and economic conditions around the world by changing the way people travel.

Who in this world do you want to be?