TheNational Trails System is a series oftrails in the United States designated "to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the Nation".[2] There are four types of trails: the national scenic trails, national historic trails, national recreation trails, and connecting or side trails. The national trails provide opportunities forhiking and historic education, as well ashorseback riding, biking,camping,scenic driving, water sports, and other activities. The National Trails System consists of 11 national scenic trails, 21 national historic trails, over 1,300 national recreation trails, and seven connecting and side trails, as well as one national geologic trail, with a total length of more than 91,000 mi (150,000 km). The scenic and historic trails are in every state, and Virginia and Wyoming have the most running through them, with six.
In response to a call by PresidentLyndon B. Johnson to have a cooperative program to build public trails for "the forgotten outdoorsmen of today" in both urban and backcountry areas, theBureau of Outdoor Recreation released a report in 1966 entitledTrails for America.[3] The study made recommendations for a network of national scenic trails, park and forest trails, and metropolitan area trails to provide recreational opportunities, with evaluations of several possible trails, both scenic and historic.[3][4] The program for long-distance natural trails was created on October 2, 1968, by the National Trails System Act, which also designated two national scenic trails, theAppalachian Trail and thePacific Crest Trail, and requested that an additional fourteen trail routes be studied for possible inclusion.[2] Sponsored by SenatorsHenry M. Jackson andGaylord Nelson and RepresentativeRoy A. Taylor,[5] part of the bill's impetus was threats of development along the Appalachian Trail, which was at risk of losing its wilderness character,[4] and theLand and Water Conservation Fund was used to acquire lands.[5] In 1978, as a result of the study of trails that were most significant for their historic associations, national historic trails were created as a new category with four trails designated that year. Since 1968, over forty trail routes have been studied for inclusion in the system.[6]
The scenic and historic trails are congressionally establishedlong-distance trails, administered by theNational Park Service (NPS),United States Forest Service (USFS), and/orBureau of Land Management (BLM). These agencies may acquire lands to protect keyrights of way, sites, resources andviewsheds, though the trails do not have fixed boundaries.[4][5] They work in cooperation with each other, states, local governments,land trusts, and private landowners to coordinate and protect lands and structures along these trails, enabling them to be accessible to the public.[7] These partnerships between the agency administrators and local site managers are vital for resource protection and the visitor experience.[5] The Federal Interagency Council on the National Trails System promotes collaboration and standardization in trail development and protection.[7][8] National recreation trails and connecting and side trails do not require congressional action, but are recognized by actions of thesecretary of the interior or thesecretary of agriculture. The national trails are supported by volunteers at private non-profit organizations that work with the federal agencies under the Partnership for the National Trails System and other trail type-specific advocacy groups.[7][4]
For fiscal year 2021, the 24 trails administered by the NPS received a budget of $15.4 million.[9]
The eleven national scenic trails were established to provide outdoor recreation opportunities and to conserve portions of the natural landscape with significant scenic, natural, cultural, or historic importance.[10] These trails are continuous non-motorized long-distance trails that can bebackpacked from end-to-end or hiked for short segments, except for Natchez Trace NST, which consists of five shorter, disconnected trail segments.[11] TheTrails for America report said, "Each National Scenic Trail should stand out in its own right as a recreation resource of superlative quality and of physical challenge."[12] Most notably, the national scenic trail system provides access to the crest of theAppalachian Mountains in the east via theAppalachian Trail, of theRocky Mountains in the west on theContinental Divide Trail, and of theCascade andSierra Nevada ranges on thePacific Crest Trail, which make up theTriple Crown of Hiking. Other places of note include the southernwetlands andGulf Coast on theFlorida Trail, theNorth Woods on theNorth Country Trail, the variety of southwestern mountains and ecosystems on theArizona Trail, and the remote high-mountain landscape near the Canadian border on thePacific Northwest Trail.
They have a total length of approximately 17,800 mi (28,650 km). Due to the extent of construction of route realignments, segment alternatives, andmeasurement methods, some sources vary in their distances reported and values may be rounded.[5]
Six trails areofficial units of the NPS, managed like its other areas, as long, linear parks.[4][13] Five trails are overseen by the U.S. Forest Service.
In 2022 Arlette Laan, whose trail name was "Apple Pie", became the first woman known to have completely hiked all eleven national scenic trails.[14]
| Name | Image | States on route | Agency | Yearest.[15] | Length[15] | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian | _(10355280153).jpg) | Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine | NPS | 1968 | 2,189 mi (3,520 km) | Spanning theAppalachian Mountains fromSpringer Mountain in Georgia andMount Katahdin in Maine, this trail dating to the 1920s sees around a thousandthru-hikers each year, along with millions of short-term visitors. Major parks on the route includeGreat Smoky Mountains National Park,Shenandoah National Park,Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (pictured), andWhite Mountain National Forest.[16] |
| Arizona |  | Arizona | USFS | 2009 | 800 mi (1,290 km) | Extending the entire length of the state fromCoronado National Memorial (pictured) near the Mexican border to Utah, this trail covers the variety of Arizona's deserts, mountains, and canyons. Four scenic regions have distinct landscapes and biotic communities: the sky islands withSaguaro National Park andCoronado National Forest, theSonoran uplands ofTonto National Forest, the volcano field crossing theSan Francisco Peaks, and the plateaus divided by theGrand Canyon.[17] |
| Continental Divide |  | Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico | USFS | 1978 | 3,200 mi (5,150 km) | With a route from Mexico to Canada, theContinental Divide separates the nation's rivers between those that flow into the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Mostly following the crest of theRocky Mountains, its major sites includeEl Malpais National Monument;Gila Wilderness;Wind River Range; andRocky Mountain,Yellowstone, andGlacier National Parks (pictured).[18] |
| Florida |  | Florida | USFS | 1983 | 1,500 mi (2,410 km) | The Florida Trail runs from the swamplands ofBig Cypress National Preserve to the beaches ofGulf Islands National Seashore, going aroundLake Okeechobee and throughOcala,Osceola, andApalachicola National Forests and many state forests and parks.[19] |
| Ice Age |  | Wisconsin | NPS | 1980 | 1,000 mi (1,610 km) | This trail traces Wisconsin'sterminal moraine of the glacier covering much of North America in the last ice age. When it receded about 10,000 years ago, it left behindkettles,potholes,eskers,kames,drumlins, andglacial erratics, six sites of which are part of theIce Age National Scientific Reserve (Kettle Moraine State Forest pictured).[20] |
| Natchez Trace |  | Tennessee, Mississippi | NPS | 1983 | 64 mi (100 km) | TheNatchez Trace was used for centuries by Native Americans who followed animal migration paths as trade routes. It became a major road for settlers to the South in the 1800s and 1810s before falling out of use, and it is now preserved as theNatchez Trace Parkway. The full intended length has not been developed and the trail consists of five disconnected sections – from three to twenty-six miles long – through forests and prairies next to the 444 km (276 mi) parkway.[11] |
| New England |  | Massachusetts, Connecticut | NPS | 2009 | 215 mi (350 km) | This footpath incorporates theMetacomet-Monadnock Trail,Metacomet Trail (Ragged Mountain pictured), andMattabesett Trail fromLong Island Sound to the New Hampshire border. It crosses the mountains of theMetacomet Ridge, connecting small towns, farms, and forests with lakes andtraprock ridges.[21] |
| North Country |  | North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont | NPS | 1980 | 4,800 mi (7,720 km) | This trail reaches fromLake Sakakawea State Park in North Dakota to a junction with the Appalachian Trail inGreen Mountain National Forest inVermont. Along its route, the trail passes through eight states and more than 150 parcels of land protected at the federal, state, or local levels.[22][23] |
| Pacific Crest |  | California, Oregon, Washington | USFS | 1968 | 2,650 mi (4,260 km) | The PCT follows the passes and crests of theSan Bernardino Mountains,Sierra Nevada,Cascades, and several other ranges from the Mexican to Canadian borders. It passes through 7 national parks, includingYosemite,Crater Lake, andNorth Cascades, and 25 national forests, for a route crossing deserts, glaciated mountains, pristine forests and lakes, and volcanic peaks. More than half is in federalwilderness areas (Alpine Lakes Wilderness pictured).[24][25] |
| Pacific Northwest |  | Montana, Idaho, Washington | USFS | 2009 | 1,200 mi (1,930 km) | Connecting the Continental Divide atGlacier National Park to the Pacific Ocean atOlympic National Park, this trail showcases theRocky Mountains,Okanogan Highlands,North Cascades,Puget Sound (including aferry ride), and theOlympic Peninsula (Olympic National Park pictured).[26] |
| Potomac Heritage |  | Pennsylvania, Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia | NPS | 1983 | 710 mi (1,140 km) | ThePotomac River is a corridor connecting the country's capital with historic trade and transportation routes to the ocean and inland. This network of trails incorporates theLaurel Highlands Hiking Trail andGreat Allegheny Passage in the Allegheny Mountains, theChesapeake and Ohio Canal towpath (Great Falls pictured), theMount Vernon Trail to George Washington's estate, cycling routes to the mouth of the river, and several other trails.[27] |
The 21 national historic trails are designated to protect the courses of significant overland or water routes that reflect the history of the nation.[15] They represent the earliest European travels in the country in Chesapeake Bay and on Spanish royal roads; the nation's struggle for independence on theOvermountain Victory National Historic Trail andWashington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route; westward migrations on theOregon,California, andMormon Trails, which traverse some of the same route; and the development of continental commerce on theSanta Fe Trail,Old Spanish Trail, andPony Express. They also memorialize the forced displacement and hardships of theNative Americans on theTrail of Tears andNez Perce National Historic Trail.
Their routes follow the nationally significant, documented historical journeys of notable individuals or groups but are not necessarily meant to be continuously traversed today; they are largely networks of partner sites along marked auto routes rather than the exact non-motorized trails as originally used.[5] Interpretative sites are often atother areas of the National Park System along the trails, as well as locally operated museums and sites.[28] TheNational Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Wyoming is on the Oregon, California, Mormon Pioneer, and Pony Express National Historic Trails and has exhibits on Western emigration.[29] Nine are administered by the NPS National Trails Office in Santa Fe and Salt Lake City.[30]
National historic trails were authorized under the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95–625), amending the National Trails System Act of 1968. They have a total length of approximately 40,000 mi (64,370 km); many trails include several branches making them much longer than a single end-to-end distance.
| Name | Image | States on route | Agency | Yearest.[15] | Length[15] | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ala Kahakai |  | Hawaii | NPS | 2000 | 175 mi (280 km) | Trail segments on the west and south shores ofHawaiʻi island protect the ancientala loa (long trail) used byNative Hawaiians for generations. This natural and cultural landscape crosses lava flows ofHawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and sandy beaches withanchialine pools. Archaeological sites includeKaloko-Honokōhau (wetlands and fishponds) andPuʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Parks (place of refuge) andPuʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site (Kamehameha I's temple).[31] |
| Butterfield Overland |  | Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California | NPS | 2023 | 3,292 mi (5,300 km) | TheButterfield Overland Mail Company operated astagecoach route between 1858 and 1861 to transport mail and passengers along a southern route betweenSt. Louis andMemphis andSan Francisco. Founded byJohn Butterfield, the route had nine divisions traversed by higher-speed wagons until the Civil War broke out.[32] |
| California |  | Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon | NPS | 1992 | 5,600 mi (9,010 km) | The 1841Bartleson–Bidwell Party, 1844Stephens–Townsend–Murphy Party, and 1846Donner Party (Donner Pass pictured) were among the few early overland emigrants to northern California, but the discovery of gold atSutter's Mill in 1848 sparked the massiveCalifornia Gold Rush. Some 140,000 "Forty-Niners" made the trip over the next five years via the overlandemigrant trail starting in Missouri, going along thePlatte River, around theGreat Salt Lake, and over theSierra Nevada (the same number came by sea). Several branching cutoffs and routes to the mines and supporting cities developed, the most popular being the Carson Trail toSutter's Fort,Sacramento. While the population explosion led to California's statehood, it also resulted in thegenocide of the state's Native Americans.[33] |
| Captain John Smith Chesapeake |  | Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia | NPS | 2006 | 3,000 mi (4,830 km) | This is a water trail based on the routesJohn Smith, a founder of theJamestown settlement, took to surveyChesapeake Bay in 1607–1609. On Smith's explorations he mapped (pictured) the Bay's tributaries and communities of Native Americans he met. The trail today includes a network of historical and natural partner sites, including maritime museums, wildlife refuges, state and local parks, andinterpretive buoys, in addition to water trails for canoeing and kayaking.[34] |
| Chilkoot |  | Alaska | NPS | 2022 | 16.5 mi (30 km) | Originally used as a trade route between the coast and the interior byTlingit people, the Chilkoot Trail was a main access route to theYukon during theKlondike Gold Rush. Between 1896 and 1899 around 22,000 prospectors made their way fromDyea, Alaska toBennett Lake,British Columbia, carrying one ton of gear acrossChilkoot Pass. It is part of theSkagway unit ofKlondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, and continues as Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site in B.C. Together, they form parts of Klondike Gold Rush International Historical Park. Thousands of visitors now hike on the route each year, from the coastal rainforest to high alpine mountains.[35] |
| El Camino Real de los Tejas |  | Texas, Louisiana | NPS | 2004 | 2,600 mi (4,180 km) | TheRoyal Road of theTejas is the group of roads throughSpanish Texas established by its first governors in the 1680s and 1690s. The Spanish initially attempted trade andproselytization atMission Tejas in Eastern Texas andLos Adaes, Louisiana, before moving the capital toSan Antonio and building aseries of missions (Mission Espada pictured) in the early 18th century. Mexican and American ranchers settled along the corridor toward the Rio Grande, including theOld San Antonio Road, throughTexas independence andannexation in 1845.[36] |
| El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro |  | New Mexico, Texas | NPS, BLM | 2000 | 404 mi (650 km) | TheRoyal Road of the Interior was first routed byJuan de Oñate in 1598 to colonize the northern part ofNew Spain. It was used for hundreds of years for trade and communication betweenMexico City andSanta Fe, mostly following theRio Grande north ofEl Paso, including theJornada del Muerto and Bajada Mesa sections. The Spanish developed the region with missions like thePresidio Chapel of San Elizario andYsleta Mission (pictured), governed from thePalace of the Governors, later used by the Mexican and US administrations. Other historic sites includeEl Rancho de las Golondrinas,Mesilla Plaza, theGutiérrez Hubbell House, andFort Craig andFort Selden used by the U.S. Army in the 1860s.[37][38] |
| Iditarod | .jpg) | Alaska | BLM | 1978 | 2,350 mi (3,780 km) | This route fromSeward toNome was used by some prospectors to reach theNome Gold Rush in the early 1900s, connecting trails long used byAlaska Natives. In the1925 serum run, a relay ofmushers and theirsled dogs brought anantitoxin to Nome to stop adiphtheria outbreak, but the trail fell into disuse as planes replaced sleds for shipping. In commemoration of this history the 1,000 mi (1,600 km)Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race has been held annually since 1973. The only winter trail in the system, the designated trail includes the race route and 1,400 mi (2,300 km) of trails connecting nearby communities for snowmobiling, sledding, and skiing.[39] |
| Juan Bautista de Anza |  | Arizona, California | NPS | 1990 | 1,200 mi (1,930 km) | Juan Bautista de Anza led a 240-person expedition in 1775–1776 to colonizeLas Californias, going from theTubac Presidio nearTucson toSan Francisco Bay, where he sited thePresidio of San Francisco andMission San Francisco de Asís. Anza visited MissionsSan Gabriel Arcángel,San Luis Obispo,San Antonio, andSan Carlos Borromeo (pictured), and his route becameEl Camino Real, which now has21 missions. A full-length auto trail and several recreation trails connect these Hispanic heritage sites and other places they went through includingCasa Grande Ruins andAnza-Borrego Desert State Park.[40] |
| Lewis and Clark |  | Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington. | NPS | 1978 | 4,900 mi (7,890 km) | Meriwether Lewis andWilliam Clark led the 1803–1806Corps of Discovery Expedition to map and study theLouisiana Purchase for PresidentThomas Jefferson. On their round-trip up theMissouri River to the mouth of theColumbia River, they formed relationships with many Native American tribes and described dozens of species. Associated sites along the trail, extended in 2019 to encompass their preparation along theOhio River, include their starting pointCamp Dubois nearGateway Arch National Park, winter campFort Clatsop (replica pictured) atLewis and Clark National Historical Park,Pompeys Pillar National Monument, and an NPS visitor center in Omaha.[41] |
| Mormon Pioneer |  | Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah | NPS | 1978 | 1,300 mi (2,090 km) | Facing persecution at their settlement inNauvoo, Illinois, members of theChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), led byBrigham Young, followed theEmigrant Trail to reach refuge in theSalt Lake Valley. Around 2,000Mormon pioneers completed the original 1846–1847 trek, including stops atMount Pisgah, Iowa;Winter Quarters, Nebraska; andFort Laramie, Wyoming. In the next two decades, 70,000 more followed on the arduous route, somepulling handcarts. Among the 145 participating sites to visit today areIndependence Rock (pictured),Devil's Gate, andThis Is the Place Heritage Park.[42] |
| Nez Perce (Nee-Me-Poo) | .jpg) | Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana | USFS | 1986 | 1,170 mi (1,880 km) | In 1877 theNez Perce (Nimíipuu) people were forced to relocate to a reservation, but a group of 750 people led byChief Joseph fled to reach sanctuary. A U.S. Army unit of 2,000 soldiers pursued the band for four months as the Nez Perce warriors held them off at several battles until they were cornered and captured at theBattle of Bear Paw. Their route can be traced on an auto tour, visitingBig Hole National Battlefield (pictured),Camas Meadows Battle Sites,Yellowstone National Park, and other sites ofNez Perce National Historical Park.[43][44] |
| Old Spanish |  | New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California | NPS, BLM | 2002 | 2,700 mi (4,350 km) | Mexican merchantAntonio Armijo led the first trade expedition fromAbiquiú, New Mexico, to Los Angeles and back in 1829, crossing areas mapped on the 1776Domínguez–Escalante expedition and byJedediah Smith in 1826.Wolfskill andYount traced an alternate northern route the next year, providing New Mexican trade caravans and emigrants access to California onmules until a wagon route was built by the 1850s. Little evidence of the trails remains, but landmarks includeMojave National Preserve,Great Sand Dunes National Park, andLake Mead National Recreation Area.[45][46] |
| Oregon |  | Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, Washington | NPS | 1978 | 2,170 mi (3,490 km) | Marcus Whitman made the first wagon trek toOregon Country in 1836 to found theWhitman Mission, followed by theOregon Dragoons andBartleson–Bidwell Party. Whitman led awagon train of around 1,000 emigrants in 1843, with tens of thousands of families making the risky journey over the next few decades to reach a new life in the West. The trail's typical endpoints wereIndependence, Missouri toOregon City, Oregon, viaFort Kearny,Scotts Bluff (pictured),South Pass,Shoshone Falls, theBlue Mountains, andBarlow Road. Emigrants came in mule- or oxen-pulledcovered wagons filled with months of supplies, but they also faced disease and attacks by Native Americans upon whose land they intruded.[47] |
| Overmountain Victory |  | Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina | NPS | 1980 | 330 mi (530 km) | In September 1780 during theRevolutionary War, theOvermountain Men militia mustered inAbingdon, Virginia (pictured) andSycamore Shoals, Tennessee, for a two-week march across the Appalachian Mountains viaRoan Mountain. Pursuing British MajorPatrick Ferguson, they confronted hisLoyalist force at the October 7Battle of Kings Mountain in South Carolina, where thePatriots won a quick, decisive victory that would be a turning point in the war. The linked highways and walking trails visit several preserved encampment sites.[48] |
| Pony Express |  | Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California | NPS | 1992 | 2,000 mi (3,220 km) | Lasting just 18 months in 1860–1861, thePony Express delivered mail via horseback betweenSt. Joseph, Missouri, andSacramento, California. Riders relayed communications 1,800 mi (2,900 km) across the country in just ten days until thetranscontinental telegraph put the service operated byCentral Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company out of business. While little of the trail itself remains, 50 stations or their ruins of the original 185 can still be visited, includingHollenberg Pony Express Station (pictured),Fort Caspar,Stagecoach Inn, thePike's Peak Stables andPatee House at the eastern terminus, andB.F. Hastings Building at the western terminus.[49] |
| Santa Fe |  | Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico | NPS | 1987 | 1,203 mi (1,940 km) | William Becknell made the first trade trip from Missouri toSanta Fe in 1821, when newly independent Mexico welcomed commerce. It was a major exchange route between the two countries for the next 25 years when theArmy of the West used it in theMexican–American War. After the war ended in 1848, emigration and freight to the new southwest flourished. TheAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway reached Santa Fe viaRaton Pass in 1880, replacing the trade caravans. Significant sites includeFort Larned,Bent's Old Fort, andFort Union (pictured), wherewagon ruts can still be seen.[50] |
| Selma to Montgomery | .jpg) | Alabama | NPS | 1996 | 54 mi (90 km) | The 1965Selma to Montgomery marches were nonviolent demonstrations of thecivil rights movement pushing for theVoting Rights Act. Led byJohn Lewis andHosea Williams, 600 marchers were brutally attacked by state police at Selma'sEdmund Pettus Bridge (pictured), rousing national support for the bill. Another march a month later saw the protestors complete the four-day walk fromBrown Chapel A.M.E. Church to theAlabama State Capitol, whereMartin Luther King Jr. spoke before a crowd of 25,000. The trail has historical markers and three interpretive centers.[51] |
| Star-Spangled Banner |  | Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia | NPS | 2008 | 290 mi (470 km) | This water and land trail highlights the history of theWar of 1812 in theChesapeake Bay Region. Major sites of this three-year war between the United States and United Kingdom include raided townsHavre de Grace andSaint Michaels; grounds of theBattle of Bladensburg andBattle of North Point; andFort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine (pictured), where the flying of the American flag in theBattle of Baltimore inspired "The Star-Spangled Banner".[52] |
| Trail of Tears |  | Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma | NPS | 1987 | 5,045 mi (8,120 km) | The 1830Indian Removal Act forced tens of thousands ofCherokee,Muscogee,Seminole,Chickasaw, andChoctaw people to leave their ancestral homelands in theSoutheast and relocate toIndian Territory (now Oklahoma). Around ten thousand Indians died of disease or the elements on their journeys. This trail commemorates the routestaken by the Cherokee after they were evicted and detained in camps by the Army in 1838, making the four-month trek over the winter. Historic sites include the Cherokee capitalNew Echota in Georgia (pictured), ChiefJohn Ross'slog cabin,Red Clay State Park,Rattlesnake Springs, and several museums.[53] |
| Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route |  | Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia, Massachusetts | NPS | 2009 | 1,000 mi (1,610 km) | Six years into theRevolutionary War, the FrenchExpédition Particulière commanded by thecomte de Rochambeau departedNewport, Rhode Island, to meetGeorge Washington'sContinental Army atDobbs Ferry, New York, in June 1781. They marched toWilliamsburg, Virginia, over the next few months, stopping at theOld Barracks in Trenton andMount Vernon. In the three-weeksiege of Yorktown (now part ofColonial National Historical Park, reenactment pictured) they defeatedGeneral Cornwallis's army, soon clinching independence for the 13 colonies. Several campsites and homes on their route are preserved, including theJoseph Webb House where Washington and Rochambeau made plans for the campaign.[54] |
The act also established a category of trails known as connecting or side trails. Though there are no guidelines for how these are managed, these have been designated by the secretary of the interior to extend trails beyond the original congressionally established route. Seven side trails have been designated:[5]
National recreation trail (NRT) is a designation given to existing trails that contribute to the recreational and conservation goals of a national network of trails. Over 1,300 trails over all fifty states have been designated as NRTs onfederal, state, municipal, tribal and private lands that are available for public use and are less than a mile to more than 500 miles (800 km) in length.[57] They have a combined length of more than 29,000 miles (47,000 km).[58]
Most NRTs arehiking trails, but a significant number aremulti-use trails orbike paths, includingrail trails andgreenways. Some are intended for use with watercraft, horses,cross-country skis, oroff-road recreational vehicles.[59] There are a number ofwater trails that make up theNational Water Trails System subprogram.[60] Eligible trails must be complete, well designed and maintained, and open to the public.[59]
The NPS and the USFS jointly administer the National Recreation Trails Program with help from other federal and nonprofit partners, notably American Trails, the leadnonprofit for developing and promoting NRTs.[57] Thesecretary of interior or thesecretary of agriculture (if on USFS land) designates national recreation trails that are of local and regional significance. Managers of eligible trails can apply for designation with the support of all landowners and their state's trail coordinator (if on non-federal land).[59] Designated trails become part of the National Trails System and receive promotional benefits, use of the NRT logo, technical and networking assistance, and preference for funding through the Department of Transportation'sRecreational Trails Program.[61]
American Trails sponsors an annual NRT photo contest[62] and a biennial symposium[63] and maintains the NRT database.[58]
The first national geologic trail was established by theOmnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, though it did not amend the National Trails System Act to create an official category.[64]
| Name | Image | States on route | Agency | Yearest. | Length | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Age Floods | .jpg) | Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana | NPS | 2009 | 3,400 mi (5,470 km) | From around 18,000 to 15,000 years ago, theglacial Lake Missoula breached its ice dams 40 to 100 times, each time releasing the cataclysmicMissoula floods that carvedcoulees, lakes, cliffs, waterfalls, andgiant current ripples along their path. They created theChanneled Scablands that form much of eastern Washington's landscape of irregular buttes and basins and theColumbia River Gorge past theWallula Gap. An unmarked tour route connects a network of state parks and other featured sites formed in these erosive floods such asSteamboat Rock State Park,Dry Falls (pictured),Palouse Falls, and theGrand Coulee.[65][66] |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
