filed under: featured trails
Building a Long-Distance Hiking Trail Across the Middle East
A case study for examining the challenges and potential of long-distance hiking trails in a region affected by political instability.
Presenters: David Landis, Regional Director, Abraham Path Initiative; Shay Rabineau, Trail Research Consultant, Abraham Path Initiative
Since ancient times, religious pilgrims have crisscrossed the Middle East on foot. Today, tourists of all sorts visit the holy sites and ancient ruins of the Eastern Mediterranean, and demand for hiking is growing as Americans and Europeans learn about routes like the Lebanon Mountain Trail and the Israel National Trail. This session uses the Abraham Path, designated the world’s best new trail in 2014 by National Geographic Traveler, as a case study for examining the challenges and potential of long-distance hiking trails in a region affected by political instability. How do trail-building, waymarking, and infrastructure development in the Middle East compare with their American counterparts? What opportunities exist for American trail builders to contribute to the development of hiking tourism in the Middle East? How can lessons learned overseas improve trails in the US?
This is a three-mile trail beginning on Coronado Peak and ending at the Coronado National Memorial Ranger Station.
The trail follows the west section of the Spanish colonial defensive systems of Old San Juan from the San Juan Gate to Fort El Morro.
Hiking trails in Reno don’t demand you to be a seasoned hiker to get the most out of them.
Grandma Gatewood Memorial Hiking Trail, Ohio
Named after Ohio native Emma "Grandma" Rowena Caldwell Gatewood. The first woman to solo-hike the Appalachian Trail.
