Creation of a Trail Stewardship position in 2019 to address maintenance and conservation needs in the area created a springboard for Friends, and once the U.S. Forest Service lifted volunteer restrictions on May 15, work began in earnest. 

In 2020, Friends of Panthertown held 26 public trail workdays involving 153 volunteers who contributed 884 hours of labor to maintain 20 trails on 6,311 acres. Two bear boxes were installed, 65 tons of gravel were placed at the Salt Rock Entrance and one Eagle Scout project was completed with five more in the works. 

This help was especially welcome due to the explosion in visitation Panthertown received, as it was one of the few outdoor recreation areas in the region to remain open throughout pandemic restrictions. This use, combined with storm damage during the early part of the year and heavy rain over the summer, caused significant erosion on the trails.