Editing National Trails System (section)

==National Scenic Trails==

The eleven national scenic trails were established to provide outdoor recreation opportunities and to conserve portions of the natural landscape with significant scenic, natural, cultural, or historic importance.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History of the National Trails System |url=https://www.americantrails.org/national-trails-system/history |access-date=2020-04-08 |publisher=American Trails}}</ref> These trails are continuous non-motorized long-distance trails that can be [[Backpacking (hiking)|backpacked]] from end-to-end or hiked for short segments, except for Natchez Trace NST, which consists of five shorter, disconnected trail segments.<ref name=natchez/> The ''Trails for America'' report said, "Each National Scenic Trail should stand out in its own right as a recreation resource of superlative quality and of physical challenge."<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 12, 2019 |title=Continental Divide National Scenic Trail {{!}} US Forest Service |url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/trails/cdt |access-date=2021-04-13 |publisher=U.S. Forest Service}}</ref> Most notably, the national scenic trail system provides access to the crest of the [[Appalachian Mountains]] in the east via the [[Appalachian Trail]], of the [[Rocky Mountains]] in the west on the [[Continental Divide Trail]], and of the [[Cascade Range|Cascade]] and [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]] ranges on the [[Pacific Crest Trail]], which make up the [[Triple Crown of Hiking]]. Other places of note include the southern [[wetland]]s and [[Gulf Coast of the United States|Gulf Coast]] on the [[Florida Trail]], the [[Laurentian Mixed Forest Province|North Woods]] on the [[North Country Trail]], the variety of southwestern mountains and ecosystems on the [[Arizona Trail]], and the remote high-mountain landscape near the Canadian border on the [[Pacific Northwest Trail]]. 

They have a total length of approximately {{cvt|17,800.|mi|km|-1}}. Due to the extent of construction of route realignments, segment alternatives, and [[Coastline paradox|measurement methods]], some sources vary in their distances reported and values may be rounded.<ref name="National Park Service-2019" /> 

Six trails are [[List of the United States National Park System official units|official units]] of the NPS, managed like its other areas, as long, linear parks.<ref name="About.com-1999" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Three national scenic trails designated as units of the National Park System |url=https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1207/three-national-scenic-trails-designated-as-units-of-the-national-park-system.htm |access-date=2023-12-08 |publisher=National Park Service |language=en}}</ref> Five trails are overseen by the U.S. Forest Service. 

In 2022 Arlette Laan, whose trail name was "Apple Pie", became the first woman known to have completely hiked all eleven national scenic trails.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/travel/wisconsin/outdoors/2022/07/13/arlette-laan-first-woman-hike-all-11-national-scenic-trails/10046236002/|title=Ice Age Trail thru-hiker becomes first woman to complete all 11 national scenic trails|first=Chelsey|last=Lewis|work=Journal Sentinel|date=July 13, 2022}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+National Scenic Trails
! scope="col" | Name 
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Image
! scope="col" | States on route
! scope="col" | Agency
! scope="col" | Year {{abbr|est.|established}}<ref name="Index2012-20162">{{Cite book |url=https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/upload/NPIndex2012-2016.pdf |title=The National Parks: Index 2012–2016 |date=2016 |publisher=National Park Service |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181113065657/https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/upload/NPIndex2012-2016.pdf |archive-date=November 13, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>
! scope="col" data-sort-type="number" | Length<ref name="Index2012-20162" />
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Description
|-
! scope="row" |[[Appalachian Trail|Appalachian]]
|[[File:Appalachian Trail- Totts Gap to Mount Minsi (20) (10355280153).jpg|200x200px|alt=Mountain covered in trees in fall colors]]
|Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine
|NPS|| 1968|| style="text-align:right;" |{{cvt|2,189|mi|km|-1}}
|Spanning the [[Appalachian Mountains]] from [[Springer Mountain]] in Georgia and [[Mount Katahdin]] in Maine, this trail dating to the 1920s sees around a thousand [[Thru-hiking|thru-hikers]] each year, along with millions of short-term visitors. Major parks on the route include [[Great Smoky Mountains National Park]], [[Shenandoah National Park]], [[Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area]] (pictured), and [[White Mountain National Forest]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Appalachian National Scenic Trail |url=http://www.nps.gov/appa/ |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |[[Arizona Trail|Arizona]]
|[[File:Montezuma Pass Overlook, elevation 2100 meters - panoramio.jpg|200x200px|alt=Desert valley vista between mountains, with trail and desert shrubs]]
|Arizona
|USFS|| 2009|| style="text-align:right;" |{{cvt|800|mi|km|-1}}
|Extending the entire length of the state from [[Coronado National Memorial]] (pictured) near the Mexican border to Utah, this trail covers the variety of Arizona's deserts, mountains, and canyons. Four scenic regions have distinct landscapes and biotic communities: the sky islands with [[Saguaro National Park]] and [[Coronado National Forest]], the [[Sonoran Desert|Sonoran]] uplands of [[Tonto National Forest]], the volcano field crossing the [[San Francisco Peaks]], and the plateaus divided by the [[Grand Canyon]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Arizona National Scenic Trail |url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/azt/ |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=U.S. Forest Service}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |[[Continental Divide Trail|Continental Divide]]
|[[File:Highline Trail 2017 09.jpg|200x200px|alt=Vista of treeless sloping mountain with tall trees in foreground]]
|Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico
|USFS|| 1978|| style="text-align:right;" |{{cvt|3,200|mi|km|-1}}
||With a route from Mexico to Canada, the [[Continental Divide of the Americas|Continental Divide]] separates the nation's rivers between those that flow into the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Mostly following the crest of the [[Rocky Mountains]], its major sites include [[El Malpais National Monument]]; [[Gila Wilderness]]; [[Wind River Range]]; and [[Rocky Mountain National Park|Rocky Mountain]], [[Yellowstone National Park|Yellowstone]], and [[Glacier National Park (U.S.)|Glacier National Parks]] (pictured).<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 12, 2019 |title=Continental Divide National Scenic Trail |url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/trails/cdt |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=U.S. Forest Service}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |[[Florida Trail|Florida]]
|[[File:Cig-FRESP08 043 - Flickr - USDAgov.jpg|200x200px|alt=Swamp with marsh water and palm tree]]
|Florida
|USFS|| 1983|| style="text-align:right;" |{{cvt|1,500|mi|km|-1}}
|The Florida Trail runs from the swamplands of [[Big Cypress National Preserve]] to the beaches of [[Gulf Islands National Seashore]], going around [[Lake Okeechobee]] and through [[Ocala National Forest|Ocala]], [[Osceola National Forest|Osceola]], and [[Apalachicola National Forest|Apalachicola National Forests]] and many state forests and parks.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Florida National Scenic Trail |url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/fnst/ |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=U.S. Forest Service}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |[[Ice Age Trail|Ice Age]]
|[[File:Fall Colors from Lapham peak tower.jpg|200x200px|alt=Flat landscape with lake in background and fall-colored orange and yellow trees]]
|Wisconsin
|NPS|| 1980|| style="text-align:right;" |{{cvt|1,000|mi|km|-1}}
|This trail traces Wisconsin's [[terminal moraine]] of the glacier covering much of North America in the last ice age. When it receded about 10,000 years ago, it left behind [[Kettle (landform)|kettles]], [[Giant's kettle|potholes]], [[Esker|eskers]], [[Kame|kames]], [[Drumlin|drumlins]], and [[Glacial erratic|glacial erratics]], six sites of which are part of the [[Ice Age National Scientific Reserve]] ([[Kettle Moraine State Forest]] pictured).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ice Age National Scenic Trail |url=http://www.nps.gov/iatr/ |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |[[Natchez Trace Trail|Natchez Trace]]
|[[File:Natchez Trace Trail.jpg|200x200px|alt=Natural trails through a forest]]
|Tennessee, Mississippi
|NPS|| 1983|| style="text-align:right;" |{{cvt|64|mi|km|-1}}
|The [[Natchez Trace]] was used for centuries by Native Americans who followed animal migration paths as trade routes. It became a major road for settlers to the South in the 1800s and 1810s before falling out of use, and it is now preserved as the [[Natchez Trace Parkway]]. The full intended length has not been developed and the trail consists of five disconnected sections – from three to twenty-six miles long – through forests and prairies next to the {{cvt|444|km|mi}} parkway.<ref name="natchez">{{Cite web |title=Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail |url=http://www.nps.gov/natt/ |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |[[New England National Scenic Trail|New England]]
|[[File:Ragged Mountain CT.jpg|200x200px|alt=Vista of a rocky cliff overlooking a forest and pond]]
|Massachusetts, Connecticut
|NPS|| 2009|| style="text-align:right;" |{{cvt|215|mi|km|-1}}
|This footpath incorporates the [[Metacomet-Monadnock Trail]], [[Metacomet Trail]] ([[Ragged Mountain (Connecticut)|Ragged Mountain]] pictured), and [[Mattabesett Trail]] from [[Long Island Sound]] to the New Hampshire border. It crosses the mountains of the [[Metacomet Ridge]], connecting small towns, farms, and forests with lakes and [[Traprock mountain|traprock ridges]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=New England National Scenic Trail |url=http://www.nps.gov/neen/ |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |[[North Country Trail|North Country]]
|[[File:Grand Sable Dunes 1.jpg|200x200px|alt=Sandy dunes with shrubs and Lake Superior in background]]
|North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont
|NPS|| 1980|| style="text-align:right;" |{{cvt|4,800|mi|km|-1}}
|This trail reaches from [[Lake Sakakawea State Park]] in North Dakota to a junction with the Appalachian Trail in [[Green Mountain National Forest]] in [[Vermont]]. Along its route, the trail passes through eight states and more than 150 parcels of land protected at the federal, state, or local levels.<ref>{{Cite web |title=North Country National Scenic Trail |url=http://www.nps.gov/noco/ |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore the Trail |url=https://northcountrytrail.org/the-trail/explore-the-trail/ |access-date=2021-04-18 |publisher=North Country Trail Association |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |[[Pacific Crest Trail|Pacific Crest]]
|[[File:Kendall Katwalk Trail.jpg|200x200px|alt=Mountainside trail with view of jagged rocky mountain with steel talus]]
|California, Oregon, Washington
|USFS||1968|| style="text-align:right;" |{{cvt|2,650|mi|km|-1}}
||The PCT follows the passes and crests of the [[San Bernardino Mountains]], [[Sierra Nevada]], [[Cascade Range|Cascades]], and several other ranges from the Mexican to Canadian borders. It passes through 7 national parks, including [[Yosemite National Park|Yosemite]], [[Crater Lake National Park|Crater Lake]], and [[North Cascades National Park|North Cascades]], and 25 national forests, for a route crossing deserts, glaciated mountains, pristine forests and lakes, and volcanic peaks. More than half is in federal [[National Wilderness Preservation System|wilderness areas]] ([[Alpine Lakes Wilderness]] pictured).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail |url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/pct/ |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=U.S. Forest Service}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Discover the Pacific Crest Trail |url=https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/ |access-date=2021-04-18 |publisher=Pacific Crest Trail Association |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |[[Pacific Northwest Trail|Pacific Northwest]]
|[[File:Ozette trail boardwalk - panoramio.jpg|200x200px|alt=Boardwalk through temperate rainforest with sun shining through trees]]
|Montana, Idaho, Washington
|USFS||2009|| style="text-align:right;" |{{cvt|1,200|mi|km|-1}}
||Connecting the Continental Divide at [[Glacier National Park (U.S.)|Glacier National Park]] to the Pacific Ocean at [[Olympic National Park]], this trail showcases the [[Rocky Mountains]], [[Okanagan Highland|Okanogan Highlands]], [[North Cascades]], [[Puget Sound]] (including a [[Port Townsend-Coupeville ferry|ferry ride]]), and the [[Olympic Peninsula]] ([[Olympic National Park]] pictured).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail – About the Trail |url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/pnt/about |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=U.S. Forest Service}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |[[Potomac Heritage Trail|Potomac Heritage]]
|[[File:2019-09-07 15 13 52 View northeast towards the Great Falls of the Potomac River from Overlook 1 about 100 feet downstream of the falls within Great Falls Park in Great Falls, Fairfax County, Virginia.jpg|200x200px|alt=River rapids through small rocky islands]]
|Pennsylvania, Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia
|NPS||1983|| style="text-align:right;" |{{cvt|710|mi|km|-1}}
|The [[Potomac River]] is a corridor connecting the country's capital with historic trade and transportation routes to the ocean and inland. This network of trails incorporates the [[Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail]] and [[Great Allegheny Passage]] in the Allegheny Mountains, the [[Chesapeake and Ohio Canal]] towpath ([[Great Falls (Potomac River)|Great Falls]] pictured), the [[Mount Vernon Trail]] to George Washington's estate, cycling routes to the mouth of the river, and several other trails.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail |url=http://www.nps.gov/pohe/ |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
|-
|}