Scenic Trails Are Recreational Trails
Mount Vernon Trail is part of the Potomac Heritage Trail
National Historic Trails was the topic of yesterday’s blog post, and we discovered that although important and educational, National Historic Trails are not necessarily recreational trails; therefore, they are not included in the trailsnet network of trails.
Definition of National Scenic Trails
“National Scenic Trails are continuous protected scenic corridors that offer superlative recreational experiences.” This is the official definition of a National Scenic Trail as found on the National Trails System Map and Guide. The word recreational is important in this definition because that is what qualifies these magnificent trails for inclusion in trailsnet’s network of trails on the internet. So they are included on trailsnet because they are recreational trails; they are loved by trailsnet because they are extremely long trails. They are what we refer to as destination trails. They are trails that people would be willing to travel to and maybe even plan vacations around.
List of National Scenic Trails
The GAP Trail is part of Potomac Heritage Trail also.
So without further ado, here’s your list of National Scenic Trails along with a link to each trail website so you can start researching your next trail vacation. Happy trails to you!!
- Appalachian National Scenic Trail – 2,175 miles – This is the grandaddy of them all and runs from Maine to Georgia.
- Arizona National Scenic Trail – 817 miles – This is one of the few scenic trails open to most non-motorized vehicles including bicycles. It traverses the entire state of Arizona from north to south.
- Continental Divide National Scenic Trail – 3,200 miles – Like the Appalachian Trail, this trail spends a lot of time perched on mountain tops as it spans the United States from Canada to Mexico. It is a hikers paradise with many sections open to mountain bikes.
- Florida National Scenic Trail – 1,400 miles – Spanning the length of Florida, the Florida Trail visits Everglades, forests and open countryside.
- Ice Age National Scenic Trail – 1,000 miles – From Lake Michigan to St. Croix River, the Ice Age Trail provides a footpath across the northeastern portion of the United States.
- Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail – 65 – Although one of the shorter scenic trails, the Natchez Trace Trail is long on beautiful landscapes. Once an Indian trade route it developed into a popular trail for early explorers, soldiers and boatmen.
- New England National Scenic Trail – 220 miles – This hiking path provides both New England scenery and a link to 39 Northeastern communities.
- North Country National Scenic Trail – 4,200 miles – The longest of America’s scenic trails, the North Country Trail connects seven different states in its journey from New York’s Adirondack Mountains to North Dakota’s Missouri River.
- Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail – 2,650 miles – Made famous in Eric Ryback’s classic journey novel, the Pacific Crest Trail extends from Canada to Mexico along Cascade and Sierra Nevada Mountains and includes the states of Washington, Oregon & California.
- Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail – 1,200 – One of our newer scenic trails, the Pacific Northwest Trail treks through Washington, Idaho & Montana not far from the Canadian border.
- Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail – 1,100 miles – Such classic trails as the C & O Canal Towpath Trail, the Mount Vernon Trail and the Great Allegheny Passage trail.
Thanks to Steve Myers of Longmont, Colorado, we may one day have another National Scenic Trail known as the Great Plains Trail. This Trail will run from the grasslands of Montana to the Guadalupe Mountains of Western Texas and include trail sections in Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico.
