America’s Newest Long Distance Trail
You’ve all heard of the Appalachian Trail, Continental Divide Trail and Pacific Crest Trail. Many of you, however, are aware of America’s latest and greatest long distance trail. The Great Plains Trail plows directly through the heartland of America. Upon completion, the trail will be over 2,200 miles long and will have traversed:
map of Great Plains Trail
- 7 states
- 3 National Parks
- 3 National Monuments
- 10 National Forests/Grasslands
- 5 State High Points
- 15 State Parks
A Truly Multi-modal Trail
The Great Plains Trail is different in so many ways. The first and most obvious difference between the Great Plains Trail is the terrain. While the other three main north/south long distance trails in America travel through mostly mountainous terrain, the Great Plains Trail is on the plains. It is also one of the most historically diverse trails highlighting everything from amazing dinosaur tracks along the Purgatory River in Colorado to historic forts in Nebraska. Along the trail, users will discover fossils, waterfalls, deep canyons, shaded forests and panoramic views. And fortunately, Great Plains Trail travelers will have three options for getting from Texas to Canada. The trail will be available to hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians. Whereas most of the major trails are only available to hikers, the Great Plains Trail will be a truly multi-modal experience allowing diverse groups of people to discover the history, terrain and cultures of the Great Plains.
Improve Mountain Biking
Great Plains Trail Update
Although the Great Plains Trail is still a work in progress, great strides (literally and figuratively) have been made in the past three years. Luke (Strider) Jordan was the first person to thru-hike the Great Plains Trail in 2016. As announced in The Great Plains Trail Newsletter, Board members for the Great Plains Trail Alliance have begun taking part in symposiums, conferences and trail-building activities. One of the most exciting events has been the inauguration of the first segment of trail in Nebraska. Three Great Plains Trail members toured the area with local trail advocates and members of the Forest Service. The Great Plains Trail has also begun a fund raising drive that includes numerous levels of funding up to and including the Founders Club for those who donate $1,000 or more. After Strider’s inaugural thru-hike of the trail, there has been increased interest among the long-distance hiking community. There has also been interest among the equestrian community for a thru-ride of the trail. As of yet, no members of the mountain biking community have expressed interest in being the first to complete the trail on bicycle. That will probably be the next big announcement of 2019. In the meantime, you can look forward to more exciting trail news and developments from the Board of Directors for The Great Plains Trail Alliance after their upcoming December 1 GPTA Board of Directors meeting.
