Officials from the Department of the Interior (DOI) and National Park Service (NPS) recently announced the designation of 28 trails as national recreation trails, adding almost 650 miles of trails to the National Trails System.
The new trails span 18 states and join a network of more than 1,200 previously designated trails. National recreation trail designation recognizes existing trails and trail systems that link communities to recreational opportunities on public lands and in local parks across the nation.
Communities and other partners supporting the establishment of the new national recreation trails receive a certificate of designation, a letter of congratulations from DOI Secretary Jewell, and a set of national recreation trail markers.
The national recreation trail program is jointly administered by the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service in conjunction with a number of other federal and nonprofit partners, notably American Trails, which hosts the national recreation trails website.
The following 28 trails are being designated this year as national recreation trails:
ALABAMA
Harvest Square Recreational Preserve Trail System
Phenix City Riverwalk
The Forever Wild Coldwater Mountain Trail System
Turkey Creek Nature Preserve Trail System
CALIFORNIA
Nadeau Trail
DELAWARE
Junction and Breakwater Trail
Northern Delaware Greenway Trail – Brandywine Creek
Northern Delaware Greenway Trail – Wilmington
Pomeroy and Newark Rail Trail
FLORIDA
Chipola River Greenway – Butler Trail
Chipola River Greenway – Hinson Conservation and Recreation Area Trail System
IOWA
Sugar Bottom Mountain Biking Trail System
Volksweg Trail
ILLINOIS
General Dacey Trail
MAINE
Timber Point
MASSACHUSETTS
Hellcat Interpretive Trail
MICHIGAN
North Eastern State Trail (NEST)
MISSOURI
Pomme de Terre Multipurpose Trail
Running River Trail
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Mud Pond Trail
NEW MEXICO
Sierra Vista Trail
NORTH CAROLINA
Kings Mountain Gateway Trail
PENNSYLVANIA
Kiski-Conemaugh Water Trail
SOUTH CAROLINA
Three Rivers Greenway
TEXAS
Brownsville Historic Battlefield Trail
VIRGINIA
High Bridge Trail State Park
Tobacco Heritage Trail
WISCONSIN
Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Water Trail
source: U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI)