Maureen Gatewood Carries On Her Grandmother’s Outdoor Legacy

You may not have heard of Maureen Gatewood, current president of the Buckeye Trail Association Board, but you’ve probably heard of her great-grandmother. Ohio native Emma “Grandma” Gatewood was the first woman to through-hike the Appalachian Trail and a founding member of the Buckeye Trail Association, which maintains a 1,444-mile route throughout our state. 

“She had very strong values,” Maureen Gatewood says of her great-grandmother. “She didn’t smoke. She didn’t chew. She didn’t drink. She didn’t cuss. And she held that standard, not just for herself. She tried to hold that for her children and those around her.”

With such a lineage, it’s no wonder that Maureen Gatewood, who lives in central Ohio, naturally has a deep affinity for the outdoors. Inspired by her great-grandmother, Gatewood instilled an appreciation for the outdoors in her own children. In 2021, she joined her daughter in participating in the Buckeye Trail Association’s annual hiking challenge, which offers participants the opportunity to attempt 20-, 40-, 60-, and 80-mile hikes each June.

Gatewood was elected President of the Buckeye Trail Association Board in fall 2025. Her role involves land and trail management as well as advocacy work.

What lessons can hikers today take away from Grandma Gatewood’s journey?
I think one of the key lessons that hikers can take away from Grandma Gatewood’s journey is to never give up and to persevere. Continue to move forward; there’s always a path forward. Things are never stagnant. Things change in life if you just wait long enough, but you can impact how that change transforms things. … I think the lessons learned throughout her life are all culminated in that journey on the trail. 

What advice would you give to someone wanting to attempt long-distance hiking?
Grandma Gatewood knew that nature was her healing power. It gave her much healing, much peace in her lifetime. Even as a small child, she would go out into nature to find that peace. … And I think a long-distance hike for people, what they don’t realize is how much of themselves they will find by the end of the trip. … I believe that with an understanding of what that trip has in front of you, you can overcome a lot of things. You can find yourself along that journey.

How has Grandma Gatewood influenced your passion for the outdoors?
She helped my family. A gift that she gave to all her children, and then they gave to their children is the gift of enjoying the outdoors. Hocking Hills was one of her favorite areas, and I started going down there when I was three or four years old. … She would start teaching us at a very young age about things in the outdoors. So, it was very instrumental in my passion for the outdoors, and it connects me back to my family.

For more information, visit buckeyetrail.org.

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