National Scenic Trail is a designation for trails that consist of trails of particular natural beauty. They are among America's most iconic trails.
The 11 current National Scenic Trails, according to the Trails Act, "will be extended trails so located as to provide for maximum outdoor recreation potential and for the conservation and enjoyment of the nationally significant scenic, historic, natural, or cultural qualities." These trails include the three north-south trails that run from Mexico to Canada, and other long-distance routes in scenic area.
The National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, USDA Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and US Army Corps of Engineers— play key roles in administering and managing these trails, while the Federal Highway Administration has been an important source of funding for them.
The AT runs 2,200 miles from Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine.
The CDT travels 3,100 miles between Mexico and Canada along the Continental Divide of the Rocky Mountains.
The Florida Trail travels approximately 1,300 miles from South Florida's semi-tropical ecosystems to the Gulf beaches of the panhandle's barrier islands.
The Ice Age Trail stretches 1,200 miles through glacier carved landscape in the state of Wisconsin.
The 450 mile Natchez Trace Trail follows sections of the Natchez Trace Parkway through the states of Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi.
The New England Trail is a 215-mile trail which travels through 41 communities in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
The North Country Trail is the longest in the National Trails System, stretching 4,600 miles over 7 states from North Dakota to New York.
The Pacific Crest Trail spans 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon, and Washington.
The PNT is a 1200-mile hiking trail running from the Continental Divide in Montana to the Pacific Ocean on Washington’s Olympic Coast.
The Potomac Heritage Trail spans 710 miles in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia.
