America’s National Trails System
Before there were railroads, highways and airplanes to help people get from one place to another, travelers relied on trails, whether by foot, horseback or wagon. In the early 20th century, outdoor enthusiasts began constructing footpaths to provide access to scenic mountainous terrain. These trails helped the public pursue healthy outdoor recreation while enjoying spectacular natural beauty.
In 1965 President Lyndon B. Johnson delivered a speech titled “Conservation and Preservation of Natural Beauty.” In it he stated,
“The forgotten outdoorsmen of today are those who like to walk, hike, ride horseback or bicycle. For them we must have trails as well as highways … I am requesting, therefore, that the Secretary of the Interior work with his colleagues in the federal government and with state and local leaders and recommend to me a cooperative program to encourage a national system of trails.”
Three years later, on Oct. 2, 1968, the president signed into law the National Trails System Act, creating a system of national scenic, recreation, and connecting and side trails. The act designated the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails as the first two National Scenic Trails. A decade later, President Jimmy Carter signed an amendment to the act, creating an additional category: National Historic Trails. While both types of trails must be designated by congress, the secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture have the authority to designate National Recreation Trails.
This year, the U.S. National Trails System celebrates its 50th anniversary. Today there are 11 National Scenic Trails, 19 National Historic Trails and more than 1,300 National Recreation Trails, all comprising a network of more than 60,000 miles of trail across all 50 states; Washington, D.C.; and Puerto Rico.
Nationally, administration for these trails is coordinated by the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. However, land ownership may be in public or private hands, and management of a particular route is often handled through a variety of public and private agencies and partners at the federal, state and local levels.
In honor of this anniversary year, trail managers are inviting you and your clients to #FindYourTrail along one of our National Scenic, Historic or Recreation Trails. If you would like a taste of what it must be like to tackle a long-distance National Scenic Trail, you can complete a short section on a day hike by yourself or with a guide. Many of these trails cross roads that provide trailhead parking and access.
Looking to travel in the footsteps of explorers and settlers—or to experience firsthand an important event in our nation’s history? Many highways and byways follow the routes of the National Historic Trails, which offer visitor centers, viewpoints and remnant sites and allow you to explore with the Lewis and Clark Expedition, emigrate west along the California and Oregon trails, ride with the Pony Express or relive the more difficult but compelling stories of our past along the Trail of Tears or the path from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.
Ready to hit the trail? Visit trails50.org/national-trails to learn more about the National Scenic Trails and locate a trail near your destination. Follow the links to the managing agency for specific information on features, seasons, access, visitor facilities and authorized commercial services. Then visit recreation.gov to plan your trip, make campground reservations and explore other opportunities available in the area.
For more information on the anniversary and related events, visit trails50.org. Help us celebrate this important anniversary and ensure the future of the incredible legacy we inherited.
America’s Wild and Scenic Rivers
As noted journalist Charles Kuralt once said, “We are a nation rich in rivers.” By the 1950s, however, many of those rivers had been irreversibly altered to accommodate the growing needs of modern civilization, including demands for hydropower, flood control, water supply and irrigation.
In the 1965 speech noted above, President Johnson gave a call to action: “The time has also come to identify and preserve free-flowing stretches of our great rivers before growth and development make the beauty of the unspoiled waterway a memory.”
At the same time he authorized the National Trails System Act, the president signed into law the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, creating a national system of rivers to be forever maintained as free flowing. Eight rivers received designation as part of the act’s passage, including Idaho’s Clearwater and Salmon rivers, Missouri’s Eleven Point River, California’s Feather River, Oregon’s Rogue River, Wisconsin’s Wolf River, Minnesota’s St. Croix River and the Rio Grande River, which flows through both New Mexico and Texas.
This year, our National Wild and Scenic River System joins the trails act in celebrating its 50th anniversary. Today there are 13,000 miles along 208 rivers—across 40 states and territories—with special designation that protects their wild and scenic character. The numbers sound impressive, but it is important to note that this constitutes just slightly more than one-third of one percent of all the nation’s rivers. Many more miles of waterways remain eligible for this special designation.
These rivers named above are managed by four federal agencies: the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. River managers are charged with protecting river flow, water quality and the remarkably outstanding values associated with the designated rivers, including recreation, fish, wildlife, history, culture, scenery and geology. These rivers are deeply entwined with the exploration, settlement and history of the United States. At the same time, they are an important part of our conservation legacy for present and future generations.
In honor of this anniversary year, river managers invite tour operators and travelers to #MakeYourSplash by experiencing one of the wild and scenic rivers. For those who would like to float or paddle down a river, there are numerous authorized companies that offer half-, full- and multi-day options depending on the river and its flow. “Soft” trips are suitable for a family adventure, while others offer challenging whitewater experiences, and still others provide the thrill of a jet boat ride.
Many visitors seek the world-class fly-fishing opportunities wild and scenic rivers provide. Experienced anglers can seek their own special fishing hole along the bank, while those new to the sport can hire the services of an authorized outfitter and guide. Imagine fishing Oregon’s internationally renowned McKenzie River from a famous drift boat with expert help from a long-time local. Some instead seek a quiet riverside picnic, a hike or a bike ride along a river corridor trail, and others want a chance to birdwatch or do some plein air painting.
How do you get started? Visit rivers.gov to learn more about the National Wild and Scenic River System and locate a river near you. Follow the links to the managing agency for specific information on features, seasons, access, visitor facilities and authorized commercial services.
Then visit recreation.gov to plan your trip, make campground reservations and explore other opportunities available in the area. You can celebrate this important anniversary while you help keep these wild and scenic rivers free-flowing forever!
Bonnie Lippitt is program manager for interpretation, tourism and visitor services for the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in the Pacific Northwest region.
Top photo: Snake Wild and Scenic River, Idaho
Photo by Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management