America's Best-Kept Secret: The National Recreation Trails

Parks & Recreation, March, 1999 by Deborah J. Chavez, Joanne F. Tynon, James A. Harding

We know a secret that most Americans aren't privy to, and we are going to share it with you. Do you live in Alabama? You're in luck. How about Idaho? Yes? So many choices. Perhaps you prefer to recreate in Tennessee? No problem. Little-known trails, replete with wonderful outdoor recreation opportunities, abound in the United States.

In 1968, the U.S. Congress passed the National Trails System Act (NTSA; P.L. 90-543). Included in this legislation was the authorization for establishment of a system of trails. Two types of trails, the National Scenic Trails (the Appalachian and Pacific Crest trails were the first two so designated) and the National Historic Trails (the first four were the Iditarod, the Lewis and Clark, the Mormon Pioneer and the Oregon trails), are well-known. National Scenic Trails are continuous, protected corridors for outdoor recreation, while National Historic Trails generally consist of trail segments and remnant sites (for example, past routes of exploration, migration, trade, communication, or military action). It takes congressional approval to become a National Scenic or Historic trail. To date, there are eight National Scenic Trails and 12 National Historic Trails.

So that's 20 trails in all. Also included in the NTSA are National Recreation Trails. What and where are they? And, more importantly, what do I do once I get there? Relax. We know the answers to these questions and, as we said before, we're willing to share.

What Are They?

National Recreation Trails are existing trails recognized by the federal government as contributing to the National Trails System. Whereas National Historic and Scenic trails require congressional approval, National Recreation Trails can be designated by either the secretary of agriculture or the interior. Today's National Recreation Trails include a variety of trail types, uses, lengths, topographies, history, and physical challenges. There are 822 National Recreation Trails nationwide. These trails support activities such as hiking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, motorized recreation and horseback riding, and offer Americans a wide range of outdoor recreation opportunities.

National Recreation Trails differ in physical characteristics like length, elevation, and surface type. Length may range from one-tenth of a mile (Arkansas' Buckeye Trail or Florida's Discovery Trail) to 410 miles (Pennsylvania's Grand Army of the Republic Highway Trail). Elevation varies from virtual sea level (Bayside Trail in California and the Acadian Park Trail in Louisiana) to 12,000 feet or more (Mt. Evans and Barr trails in Colorado).

Some trails may be "connector" trails with other trail systems. Some are asphalt (Bright Angel Trail in Arizona and Shelley Lake Trail in North Carolina), some are constructed from wood chips and native natural material (Redbird Fitness Trail in Kentucky and Lost Creek Trail in Missouri), others are dirt (Mackenzie Touring Trail in Michigan and Westside Overland Trail in New York) or gravel (Blue Mountain Nature Trail in Montana and Sugar River State Trail in Wisconsin). A few are slickrock (Utah's Moab Slickrock Bike Trail or Dorr Mountains Trail in Maine) or sand dunes (Seashore State Park Trail in Virginia and Tahkenitch Dunes Trail in Oregon). These variations in length, elevation, and surface type enhance the breadth of opportunities and challenges for trail users.

Where Are They?

Obviously, National Recreation Trails can be found throughout the United States. California alone has 78, including the Bizz Johnson Trail, the Columns of the Giants, and the Lewis Creek and Pony Express trails. Virginia has 16, including the Booker T. Washington and Wild Oak trails. North Dakota's four include the J. Clark Salyer Canoe and the Roughrider trails. And among the 12 in Texas are the Benbrook Lake Horseback and Lone Star trails.

In other words, there's a good chance that there is a National Recreation Trail near you. There is at least one National Recreation Trail in each state, and two in Puerto Rico.

The National Recreation Trails offer more than 10,000 miles of trails across the United States. The National Recreation Trails, not characterized by any single type of trail, are not as distinct a system as the National Scenic or National Historic trails. There are urban National Recreation Trails (Lake Washington Bike Trail in Washington or Dr. Paul Dudley White Trail in Massachusetts) and primitive National Recreation Trails (Pinnell Mountain Trail in Arkansas or Toiyabe Crest Trail in Nevada). There are mountainous (Table Rock Trail in South Carolina or

Blue Beaver Trail in Tennessee) and flat (Delaware and Raritan Canal Trail in New Jersey and Black History Trail in Washington, D.C.) National Recreation Trails.

What Do I Do There?

Some trails are single-track (Arkaquah Trail in Georgia and Crawford-Yellow Pine Trail in Idaho), others support multiple nonmotorized-vehicle use (Walnut Grove Trail in Texas and Sargent Mountain in Maine), and still others offer diversified use for motorized and nonmotorized recreationists (Cow Creek Trail in Oregon and Great Western Nature Trail in Connecticut). Do you like to walk, hike, run, or jog? Road or mountain bike? Ride horses? Inline skate? Cross-country ski? Try a National Recreation Trail. Be aware, though, that one-half of the National Recreation Trails are nonmotorized single-use. Another one-third are multiple-use nonmotorized (for example, pedestrian and equestrian). Only 10 percent offer motorized use of any kind.