Path Across the Nation

Paths Across the Nation

Some are no wider than a fat guy, but all are of scenic or historic value

While they many not have hiked it top to bottom, most Americans have heard of the Appalachian Trail. Many are unaware, though, that the Appalachian belongs to a much larger system of trails. In 1968, Congress passed the National Trails Assistance Act to establish a national trail system. The trails fall into two categories: national scenic trails, which are protected scenic corridors for outdoor recreation, and national historic trails, which recognize prominent pas routes of exploration, migration, and military action and may consist of no more than a series of roadside markers. The entire system includes about a two dozen trails and covers most of the country.

National Scenic Trails

Benton Mackay, the man who created the Appalachian Trail, thought it shpuld be no wider than the space required by the average fat man. The majority of the trails are open to hikers only, although some allow mountain bikes and horses. Many are works in progress and have significant sections closed to the public. Call ahead to inquire about available sections, allowable modes of transportation, and camping permits.

Appalachian National Scenic Trail: Appalachian Trail Conference. Length: 2,144 miles. The first interstate recreational trail, the Appalachian was conceived in 1921 by Benton McKay as a national preserve parallel to the East Coast. Beginning in Georgia and ending in Maine, the trail hugs the crest of the Appalachian Mountains and is open only to hikers. There are shelters every 6 to 12 miles, making it possible to hike the entire span without leaving the trail. Approximately 175 people hike the entire length of the trail every year, while millions of other hikers find inspiration and adventure on shorter segments.

The nature blossoms. Photo by Elena.

Continental Divide National Scenic Trail: Length : 3,100 miles. The Continental Divide Trail provides spectacular backcountry travel through the Rocky Mountains from Mexico to Canada. It is the most rugged of the long-distance trails. About 99 percent of the entire 3,100 miles is finished in some form, and the Forest Service hopes to complet the rest very soon. So it os possible for the more adventurous to hike from border to border . The longest contonuous finished stretch reaces 795 miles from Canada through Montana and Idaho to Yellowstone National Park, and there is another solid 400-mile stretch through Colorado. The trail is open to hikers, pack and saddle animals, and, in some places, off-road motorized vehicles.

Florida National Scenic Trail: Length: 1,300 miles. The Florida Trail extends from Big Cypress National Preserve in South Florida to just west of Pensacola in the northern part of the Florida Panhandle. Formed in 1964, the trail will eventually extend through Florida's three national forests to Gulf Islands National Seashore in the western panhandle. The trail passes through America's only subtropical landscape, making it especially popular with winter hikers and campers. Side-loop trails connect to nearby historic sites and other points of interest. At present, Forest Service officials estimate that about 600 miles of the trails are in place and open to public use.

Ice Age National Scenic Trail: Length: 1,000 miles. At the end of the Ice Age, some 10,000 years ago, glaciers retreated from North America and left at their southern edge a chain of moraine hills made of rocks and gravel that the glaciers had accumulated along their journey. In Wisconsin, this band of hills zigzags across the state for 1,000 miles from Lake Michigan to the St.Croix River. Almost half the trail is open to the public, and certain sections are sometimes even used for marathons, ski races, and super long-distance running across the trail's rough terrain.

Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail: Length: 110 miles. The trail lies within the boundaries of the as yet uncompleted Natchez Trace Parkway, which extends 450 miles from Natchez, Miss, to Nashevlle, Tenn. The parkway will commemoratte the historic Natchez Trace, an ancient path that began as a series of animal tracks and Native American trails. It was later used by early explorers, ”Kaintuck” boatmen, post riders, and military men, including Andrew Jackson after his victory at the Battle of New Orleans. Segments near Nashville (26 miles), Jackson (20 miles), and Rocky Springs, which is near Natchez (15 miles) have been completed, there also are about 20 shorter leg-stretcher trails throughout. The Park Service connected the entire 450 miles.

North Country National Scenic Trail:  Length: 3,200 miles. Conceived in the mid-1960s, the North Country Trail links the Adirondack Mountains with the Missouri River in North Dakota. The trail journeys through the grandeur of the Adirondacks, Pennsylvania's hardwood forest, the canals and rolling farmland of Ohio, the Great Lakes shorelines of Michigan, the glacier-carved lakes and streams of northern Wisconsin and Minnesota, and the vast plains of North Dakota – not to mention nine national forests and two national parks. Park officials say that the trail is now completed for hiking.

Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail: Length: 2,638 miles. Running along the spectacular shoulders of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges from Canada to Mexico, the Pacific Crest Trail is the West Coast counterpart to the Appalachian National Trails. It passes through 25 national forests and seven national parks.

Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail: Length: 700 miles. The trail commemorates the unique mix of history and recreation along the Potomac River. Although it was established only in 1983, park officials say that everything is place: the 18-mile Mount Vernon Trail in Virginia, the 70-mile Laurel Highlands Trail in Pennsylvania, and the 184-mile towpath of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. The last 20 or so miles of the trail along the Chesapeake and Ohio provide a wonderful bicycle ride that ends in the heart of Washington, D.C.

A little bird. Photo by Elena.