Editing National Trails System (section)

==National Historic Trails==

The 21 national historic trails are designated to protect the courses of significant overland or water routes that reflect the history of the nation.<ref name="Index2012-20162" /> They represent the earliest European travels in the country in Chesapeake Bay and on Spanish royal roads; the nation's struggle for independence on the [[Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail]] and [[Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route]]; westward migrations on the [[Oregon Trail|Oregon]], [[California Trail|California]], and [[Mormon Trail|Mormon Trails]], which traverse some of the same route; and the development of continental commerce on the [[Santa Fe Trail]], [[Old Spanish Trail (trade route)|Old Spanish Trail]], and [[Pony Express]]. They also memorialize the forced displacement and hardships of the [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] on the [[Trail of Tears]] and [[Nez Perce National Historic Trail]].

Their routes follow the nationally significant, documented historical journeys of notable individuals or groups but are not necessarily meant to be continuously traversed today; they are largely networks of partner sites along marked auto routes rather than the exact non-motorized trails as originally used.<ref name="National Park Service-2019" /> Interpretative sites are often at [[List of areas in the United States National Park System|other areas of the National Park System]] along the trails, as well as locally operated museums and sites.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Certified Sites - National Trails Office - Regions 6, 7, 8 |url=https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1453/certified-sites.htm |access-date=2021-05-11 |publisher=National Park Service |language=en}}</ref> The [[National Historic Trails Interpretive Center]] in Wyoming is on the Oregon, California, Mormon Pioneer, and Pony Express National Historic Trails and has exhibits on Western emigration.<ref>{{Cite web |title=National Historic Trails Center |url=https://nhtcf.org/about/the-center |access-date=2021-04-12 |publisher=National Historic Trails Center}}</ref> Nine are administered by the NPS National Trails Office in Santa Fe and Salt Lake City.<ref>{{Cite web |title=National Trails Office - Regions 6, 7, 8 |url=https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1453/index.htm |access-date=2021-05-01 |publisher=National Park Service |language=en}}</ref> 

National historic trails were authorized under the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978 ({{USPL|95|625}}), amending the National Trails System Act of 1968. They have a total length of approximately {{cvt|40000|mi|km|-1}}; many trails include several branches making them much longer than a single end-to-end distance.

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+National Historic 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" />
! scope="col" data-sort-type="number" | Length<ref name="Index2012-20162" />
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Description
|-
! scope="row" |[[Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail|Ala Kahakai]]
|[[File:ALKA trailsection.jpg|200x200px|alt=Stepping stones on footpath across lava field]]
|Hawaii
|NPS|| 2000|| style="text-align:right;" |{{cvt|175|mi|km|-1}}
|Trail segments on the west and south shores of [[Hawaii (island)|Hawaiʻi island]] protect the ancient ''ala loa'' (long trail) used by [[Native Hawaiians]] for generations. This natural and cultural landscape crosses lava flows of [[Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park]] and sandy beaches with [[Anchialine pool|anchialine pools]]. Archaeological sites include [[Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park|Kaloko-Honokōhau]] (wetlands and fishponds) and [[Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park|Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Parks]] (place of refuge) and [[Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site]] ([[Kamehameha I]]'s temple).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail |url=http://www.nps.gov/alka/ |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
|-
![[Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail|Butterfield Overland]]
|[[File:Fort Chadbourne museum.jpg|alt=|200x200px]]
|Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California
|NPS
|2023
|style="text-align:right;" |{{cvt|3,292|mi|km|-1}}
|The [[Butterfield Overland Mail|Butterfield Overland Mail Company]] operated a [[stagecoach]] route between 1858 and 1861 to transport mail and passengers along a southern route between [[St. Louis]] and [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]] and [[San Francisco]]. Founded by [[John Butterfield (businessman)|John Butterfield]], the route had nine divisions traversed by higher-speed wagons until the Civil War broke out.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-23 |title=Butterfield Trail gets national historic designation |url=https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2022/dec/23/butterfield-trail-gets-national-historic/ |access-date=2023-01-01 |website=Arkansas Online |language=en}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |[[California Trail|California]]
|[[File:Donner Memorial State Park - Flickr - Joe Parks.jpg|200x200px|alt=Vista of mountain pass with pine trees, curving road, and lake in background]]
|Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon
|NPS|| 1992|| style="text-align:right;" |{{cvt|5600|mi|km|-1}}
|The 1841 [[Bartleson–Bidwell Party]], 1844 [[Stephens–Townsend–Murphy Party]], and 1846 [[Donner Party]] ([[Donner Pass]] pictured) were among the few early overland emigrants to northern California, but the discovery of gold at [[Sutter's Mill]] in 1848 sparked the massive [[California Gold Rush]]. Some 140,000 "Forty-Niners" made the trip over the next five years via the overland [[Emigrant Trail|emigrant trail]] starting in Missouri, going along the [[Platte River]], around the [[Great Salt Lake]], and over the [[Sierra Nevada]] (the same number came by sea). Several branching cutoffs and routes to the mines and supporting cities developed, the most popular being the Carson Trail to [[Sutter's Fort]], [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]]. While the population explosion led to California's statehood, it also resulted in the [[California genocide|genocide of the state's Native Americans]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=California Trail |url=http://www.nps.gov/cali/ |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |[[Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail|Captain John Smith Chesapeake]]
|[[File:Chesapeake Bay Map 1612.tif|200x200px|alt=Historic hand-drawn map of Chesapeake Bay labeled "Virginia"]]
|Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia
|NPS|| 2006|| style="text-align:right;" |{{cvt|3000|mi|km|-1}}
|This is a water trail based on the routes [[John Smith (explorer)|John Smith]], a founder of the [[Jamestown, Virginia|Jamestown]] settlement, took to survey [[Chesapeake Bay]] in 1607–1609. On Smith's explorations he mapped (pictured) the Bay's tributaries and communities of Native Americans he met. The trail today includes a network of historical and natural partner sites, including maritime museums, wildlife refuges, state and local parks, and [[Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System|interpretive buoys]], in addition to water trails for canoeing and kayaking.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail |url=http://www.nps.gov/cajo/ |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
|-
![[Chilkoot Trail|Chilkoot]]
|[[File:Dyea Alaska.jpg|alt=|200x200px]]
|Alaska
|NPS
|2022
|style="text-align:right;" |{{cvt|16.5|mi|km|-1}}
|Originally used as a trade route between the coast and the interior by [[Tlingit]] people, the Chilkoot Trail was a main access route to the [[Yukon]] during the [[Klondike Gold Rush]]. Between 1896 and 1899 around 22,000 prospectors made their way from [[Dyea, Alaska]] to [[Bennett Lake]], [[British Columbia]], carrying one ton of gear across [[Chilkoot Pass]]. It is part of the [[Skagway, Alaska|Skagway]] unit of [[Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park]], and continues as Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site in B.C. Together, they form parts of Klondike Gold Rush International Historical Park. Thousands of visitors now hike on the route each year, from the coastal rainforest to high alpine mountains.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore the Chilkoot Trail - Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park |url=https://www.nps.gov/klgo/planyourvisit/chilkoottrail.htm |access-date=2022-12-28 |website= |publisher=National Park Service |language=en}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |[[El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail|El Camino Real de los Tejas]]
|[[File:Mission Espada Chapel1.JPG|200x200px|alt=Small historic stone church building with three bells hanging above door]]
|Texas, Louisiana
|NPS|| 2004|| style="text-align:right;" |{{cvt|2600|mi|km|-1}}
|The ''Royal Road of the [[Hasinai|Tejas]]'' is the group of roads through [[Spanish Texas]] established by its first governors in the 1680s and 1690s. The Spanish initially attempted trade and [[Proselytism|proselytization]] at [[Mission Tejas State Park|Mission Tejas]] in Eastern Texas and [[Los Adaes]], Louisiana, before moving the capital to [[San Antonio]] and building a [[San Antonio Missions National Historical Park|series of missions]] ([[Mission San Francisco de la Espada|Mission Espada]] pictured) in the early 18th century. Mexican and American ranchers settled along the corridor toward the Rio Grande, including the [[Old San Antonio Road]], through [[Republic of Texas|Texas independence]] and [[Texas annexation|annexation]] in 1845.<ref>{{Cite web |title=El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail |url=http://www.nps.gov/elte/ |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |[[El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail|El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro]]
|[[File:Ysleta Del Sur church.jpg|200x200px|alt=Adobe church with small bell tower]]
|New Mexico, Texas
|NPS, BLM|| 2000|| style="text-align:right;" |{{cvt|404|mi|km|-1}}
|The ''Royal Road of the Interior'' was first routed by [[Juan de Oñate]] in 1598 to colonize the northern part of [[New Spain]]. It was used for hundreds of years for trade and communication between [[Mexico City]] and [[Santa Fe, New Mexico|Santa Fe]], mostly following the [[Rio Grande]] north of [[El Paso, Texas|El Paso]], including the [[Jornada del Muerto]] and Bajada Mesa sections. The Spanish developed the region with missions like the [[Presidio Chapel of San Elizario]] and [[Ysleta Mission]] (pictured), governed from the [[Palace of the Governors]], later used by the Mexican and US administrations. Other historic sites include [[El Rancho de las Golondrinas]], [[Mesilla Plaza]], the [[Gutiérrez Hubbell House]], and [[Fort Craig]] and [[Fort Selden]] used by the U.S. Army in the 1860s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail |url=http://www.nps.gov/elca/ |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail |url=https://www.blm.gov/visit/el-camino-real-de-tierra-adentro-national-historic-trail |access-date=2021-04-28 |publisher=Bureau of Land Management |language=en}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |[[Iditarod National Historic Trail|Iditarod]]
|[[File:My Public Lands Roadtrip- Iditarod National Historic Trail in Alaska (19125108399).jpg|200x200px|alt=Sled dogs pulling a musher across snow with snow-covered mountains in background]]
|Alaska
|BLM|| 1978|| style="text-align:right;" |{{cvt|2350|mi|km|-1}}
|This route from [[Seward, Alaska|Seward]] to [[Nome, Alaska|Nome]] was used by some prospectors to reach the [[Nome Gold Rush]] in the early 1900s, connecting trails long used by [[Alaska Natives]]. In the [[1925 serum run to Nome|1925 serum run]], a relay of [[Mushing|mushers]] and their [[Sled dog|sled dogs]] brought an [[Diphtheria antitoxin|antitoxin]] to Nome to stop a [[diphtheria]] outbreak, but the trail fell into disuse as planes replaced sleds for shipping. In commemoration of this history the {{Cvt|1000|mi|km|adj=on|sigfig=2}} [[Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race]] has been held annually since 1973. The only winter trail in the system, the designated trail includes the race route and {{Cvt|1400|mi|km|adj=on|sigfig=2}} of trails connecting nearby communities for snowmobiling, sledding, and skiing.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Iditarod National Historic Trail |url=https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/national-scenic-and-historic-trails/iditarod |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=Bureau of Land Management}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |[[Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail|Juan Bautista de Anza]]
|[[File:Carmel Mission 180.jpg|200x200px|alt=Adobe church with rounded facade and small bell towers on both sides with purple flowers in foreground]]
|Arizona, California
|NPS|| 1990|| style="text-align:right;" |{{cvt|1200|mi|km|-1}}
|[[Juan Bautista de Anza]] led a 240-person expedition in 1775–1776 to colonize ''[[Las Californias]]'', going from the [[Presidio San Ignacio de Tubac|Tubac Presidio]] near [[Tucson, Arizona|Tucson]] to [[San Francisco Bay]], where he sited the [[Presidio of San Francisco]] and [[Mission San Francisco de Asís]]. Anza visited Missions [[Mission San Gabriel Arcángel|San Gabriel Arcángel]], [[Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa|San Luis Obispo]], [[Mission San Antonio de Padua|San Antonio]], and [[Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo|San Carlos Borromeo]] (pictured), and his route became [[El Camino Real (California)|El Camino Real]], which now has [[Spanish missions in California|21 missions]]. A full-length auto trail and several recreation trails connect these Hispanic heritage sites and other places they went through including [[Casa Grande Ruins National Monument|Casa Grande Ruins]] and [[Anza-Borrego Desert State Park]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail |url=http://www.nps.gov/juba/ |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |[[Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail|Lewis and Clark]]
|[[File:Fort Clatsop replica 2007.jpg|200x200px|alt=Entrance of log fort with open gate]]
|Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington.
|NPS|| 1978|| style="text-align:right;" |{{cvt|4900|mi|km|-1}}
|[[Meriwether Lewis]] and [[William Clark]] led the 1803–1806 [[Lewis and Clark Expedition|Corps of Discovery Expedition]] to map and study the [[Louisiana Purchase]] for President [[Thomas Jefferson]]. On their round-trip up the [[Missouri River]] to the mouth of the [[Columbia River]], they formed relationships with many Native American tribes and described dozens of species. Associated sites along the trail, extended in 2019 to encompass their preparation along the [[Ohio River]], include their starting point [[Camp Dubois]] near [[Gateway Arch National Park]], winter camp [[Fort Clatsop]] (replica pictured) at [[Lewis and Clark National Historical Park]], [[Pompeys Pillar National Monument]], and an NPS visitor center in Omaha.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail |url=http://www.nps.gov/lecl/ |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |[[Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail|Mormon Pioneer]]
|[[File:Independence Rock 2017-09-27 1482.jpg|200x200px|alt=Large rounded rock rising above the plains]]
|Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah
|NPS|| 1978|| style="text-align:right;" |{{cvt|1300|mi|km|-1}}
|Facing persecution at their settlement in [[Nauvoo, Illinois]], members of the [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] ([[Mormons]]), led by [[Brigham Young]], followed the [[Emigrant Trail]] to reach refuge in the [[Salt Lake Valley]]. Around 2,000 [[Mormon pioneers]] completed the original 1846–1847 trek, including stops at [[Mount Pisgah, Iowa|Mount Pisgah]], Iowa; [[Winter Quarters (North Omaha, Nebraska)|Winter Quarters]], Nebraska; and [[Fort Laramie]], Wyoming. In the next two decades, 70,000 more followed on the arduous route, some [[Mormon handcart pioneers|pulling handcarts]]. Among the 145 participating sites to visit today are [[Independence Rock (Wyoming)|Independence Rock]] (pictured), [[Devil's Gate (Wyoming)|Devil's Gate]], and [[This Is the Place Heritage Park]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail |url=http://www.nps.gov/mopi/ |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |[[Nez Perce National Historic Trail|Nez Perce (Nee-Me-Poo)]]
|[[File:Big-hole-national-battlefield-06022012-rogermpeterson-007 (7351656778).jpg|200x200px|alt=White teepee with mountains in background]]
|Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana
|USFS|| 1986|| style="text-align:right;" |{{cvt|1170|mi|km|-1}}
|In 1877 the [[Nez Perce|Nez Perce (''Nimíipuu'')]] people were forced to relocate to a reservation, but a group of 750 people led by [[Chief Joseph]] fled to reach sanctuary. A U.S. Army unit of 2,000 soldiers pursued the band for four months as the Nez Perce warriors held them off at several battles until they were cornered and captured at the [[Battle of Bear Paw]]. Their route can be traced on an auto tour, visiting [[Big Hole National Battlefield]] (pictured), [[Camas Meadows Battle Sites]], [[Yellowstone National Park]], and other sites of [[Nez Perce National Historical Park]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nez Perce National Historic Trail |url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/npnht/ |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=U.S. Forest Service}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Nez Perce National Historical Park |url=http://www.nps.gov/nepe/ |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |[[Old Spanish National Historic Trail|Old Spanish]]
|[[File:One Mile North of the Old Spanish Trail highway in Inyo County, California.jpg|200x200px|alt=Desert landscape with small rocky mountains and cacti and shrubs]]
|New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California
|NPS, BLM|| 2002|| style="text-align:right;" |{{cvt|2700|mi|km|-1}}
|Mexican merchant [[Antonio Armijo]] led the first trade expedition from [[Abiquiú, New Mexico]], to Los Angeles and back in 1829, crossing areas mapped on the 1776 [[Domínguez–Escalante expedition]] and by [[Jedediah Smith]] in 1826. [[William Wolfskill|Wolfskill]] and [[George C. Yount|Yount]] traced an alternate northern route the next year, providing New Mexican trade caravans and emigrants access to California on [[Mule|mules]] until a wagon route was built by the 1850s. Little evidence of the trails remains, but landmarks include [[Mojave National Preserve]], [[Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve|Great Sand Dunes National Park]], and [[Lake Mead National Recreation Area]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Old Spanish National Historic Trail |url=http://www.nps.gov/olsp/ |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Old Spanish Trail National Historic Trail |url=https://www.blm.gov/visit/old-spanish-trail-national-historic-trail |access-date=2021-05-03 |publisher=Bureau of Land Management |language=en}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |[[Oregon National Historic Trail|Oregon]]
|[[File:Covered Wagon In Scotts Bluff National Monument, Nebraska.jpg|200x200px|alt=Covered wagon in front of large tan bluff]]
|Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, Washington
|NPS||1978||style="text-align:right;"|{{cvt|2170|mi|km|-1}}
|[[Marcus Whitman]] made the first wagon trek to [[Oregon Country]] in 1836 to found the [[Whitman Mission National Historic Site|Whitman Mission]], followed by the [[Oregon Dragoons]] and [[Bartleson–Bidwell Party]]. Whitman led a [[wagon train]] of around 1,000 emigrants in 1843, with tens of thousands of families making the risky journey over the next few decades to reach a new life in the West. The trail's typical endpoints were [[Independence, Missouri]] to [[Oregon City, Oregon]], via [[Fort Kearny]], [[Scotts Bluff National Monument|Scotts Bluff]] (pictured), [[South Pass (Wyoming)|South Pass]], [[Shoshone Falls]], the [[Blue Mountains (Pacific Northwest)|Blue Mountains]], and [[Barlow Road]]. Emigrants came in mule- or oxen-pulled [[Covered wagon|covered wagons]] filled with months of supplies, but they also faced disease and attacks by Native Americans upon whose land they intruded.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Oregon National Historic Trail |url=http://www.nps.gov/oreg/ |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |[[Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail|Overmountain Victory]]
|[[File:RETIREMENT AND THE MUSTER GROUNDS, ABINGDON, WASHINGTON COUNTY, VA.jpg|200x200px|alt=Log fence around a grassy field with fall-colored trees in background]]
|Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina
|NPS||1980||style="text-align:right;"|{{cvt|330|mi|km|-1}}
|In September 1780 during the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]], the [[Overmountain Men]] militia mustered in [[Abingdon, Virginia]] (pictured) and [[Sycamore Shoals]], Tennessee, for a two-week march across the Appalachian Mountains via [[Roan Mountain (Roan Highlands)|Roan Mountain]]. Pursuing British Major [[Patrick Ferguson]], they confronted his [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|Loyalist]] force at the October 7 [[Battle of Kings Mountain]] in South Carolina, where the [[Patriot (American Revolution)|Patriots]] won a quick, decisive victory that would be a turning point in the war. The linked highways and walking trails visit several preserved encampment sites.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail |url=http://www.nps.gov/ovvi/ |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |[[Pony Express National Historic Trail|Pony Express]]
|[[File:Hollenberg-home-station-pony-express.jpg|200x200px|alt=Wooden rectangular building with angled roof and chimneys]]
|Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California
|NPS||1992||style="text-align:right;"|{{cvt|2000|mi|km|-1}}
|Lasting just 18 months in 1860–1861, the [[Pony Express]] delivered mail via horseback between [[St. Joseph, Missouri]], and [[Sacramento, California]]. Riders relayed communications {{Cvt|1,800|mi|km}} across the country in just ten days until the [[First transcontinental telegraph|transcontinental telegraph]] put the service operated by [[Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company]] out of business. While little of the trail itself remains, 50 stations or their ruins of the original 185 can still be visited, including [[Hollenberg Pony Express Station]] (pictured), [[Fort Caspar]], [[Camp Floyd / Stagecoach Inn State Park and Museum|Stagecoach Inn]], the [[Pike's Peak Stables]] and [[Patee House]] at the eastern terminus, and [[Pony Express Terminal|B.F. Hastings Building]] at the western terminus.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pony Express National Historic Trail |url=http://www.nps.gov/poex/ |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |[[Santa Fe National Historic Trail|Santa Fe]]
|[[File:Foun wagon.jpg|200x200px|alt=Old wagon wheels in front of a ruined clay wall with arched opening and windows]]
|Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico
|NPS|| 1987|| style="text-align:right;" |{{cvt|1203|mi|km|-1}}	
|[[William Becknell]] made the first trade trip from Missouri to [[Santa Fe, New Mexico|Santa Fe]] in 1821, when newly independent Mexico welcomed commerce. It was a major exchange route between the two countries for the next 25 years when the [[Army of the West (1846)|Army of the West]] used it in the [[Mexican–American War]]. After the war ended in 1848, emigration and freight to the new southwest flourished. The [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway]] reached Santa Fe via [[Raton Pass]] in 1880, replacing the trade caravans. Significant sites include [[Fort Larned National Historic Site|Fort Larned]], [[Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site|Bent's Old Fort]], and [[Fort Union National Monument|Fort Union]] (pictured), where [[Rut (roads)|wagon ruts]] can still be seen.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Santa Fe National Historic Trail |url=http://www.nps.gov/safe/ |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |[[Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail|Selma to Montgomery]]
|[[File:P030715PS-1619 (20894933462).jpg|200x200px|alt=Large group of people walking together on bridge roadway under bridge arch saying "Edmund Pettus Bridge"]]
|Alabama
|NPS||1996||style="text-align:right;"|{{cvt|54|mi|km|-1}}
|The 1965 [[Selma to Montgomery marches]] were nonviolent demonstrations of the [[civil rights movement]] pushing for the [[Voting Rights Act of 1965|Voting Rights Act]]. Led by [[John Lewis]] and [[Hosea Williams]], 600 marchers were brutally attacked by state police at Selma's [[Edmund Pettus Bridge]] (pictured), rousing national support for the bill. Another march a month later saw the protestors complete the four-day walk from [[Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church (Selma, Alabama)|Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church]] to the [[Alabama State Capitol]], where [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] spoke before a crowd of 25,000. The trail has historical markers and three interpretive centers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail |url=http://www.nps.gov/semo/ |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |[[Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail|Star-Spangled Banner]]
|[[File:Fort McHenry 2016 4.JPG|200x200px|alt=Cannons next to grassy embankment in front of brick fort above which the US flag is flying]]
|Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia
|NPS||2008||style="text-align:right;"|{{cvt|290|mi|km|-1}}
|This water and land trail highlights the history of the [[War of 1812]] in the [[Chesapeake Bay Region]]. Major sites of this three-year war between the United States and United Kingdom include raided towns [[Havre de Grace, Maryland|Havre de Grace]] and [[Saint Michaels, Maryland|Saint Michaels]]; grounds of the [[Battle of Bladensburg]] and [[Battle of North Point]]; and [[Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine]] (pictured), where the flying of the American flag in the [[Battle of Baltimore]] inspired "[[The Star-Spangled Banner]]".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail |url=http://www.nps.gov/stsp/ |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |[[Trail of Tears National Historic Trail|Trail of Tears]]
|[[File:TrailofTearsMemorial-3.jpg|200x200px|alt=Stone obelisk monument with four flags of the US, Georgia, and Cherokee flying around it]]
|Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma
|NPS|| 1987|| style="text-align:right;" |{{cvt|5045|mi|km|-1}}
|The 1830 [[Indian Removal Act]] forced tens of thousands of [[Cherokee]], [[Muscogee (Creek) Nation|Muscogee]], [[Seminole]], [[Chickasaw]], and [[Choctaw]] people to leave their ancestral homelands in the [[Southeastern United States|Southeast]] and relocate to [[Indian Territory]] (now Oklahoma). Around ten thousand Indians died of disease or the elements on their journeys. This trail commemorates the routes [[Cherokee removal|taken by the Cherokee]] after they were evicted and detained in camps by the Army in 1838, making the four-month trek over the winter. Historic sites include the Cherokee capital [[New Echota]] in Georgia (pictured), Chief [[John Ross (Cherokee chief)|John Ross]]'s [[John Ross House (Rossville, Georgia)|log cabin]], [[Red Clay State Park]], [[Rattlesnake Springs]], and several museums.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Trail of Tears National Historic Trail |url=http://www.nps.gov/trte/ |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |[[Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route|Washington–Rochambeau<br>Revolutionary Route]]
|[[File:Yorktown VA NPS 18-pdr cannon.jpg|200x200px|alt=People dressed in Revolutionary War military uniforms loading a cannon]]
|Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia, Massachusetts
|NPS||2009||style="text-align:right;"|{{cvt|1000|mi|km|-1}}
|Six years into the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]], the French [[Expédition Particulière]] commanded by the [[Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau|comte de Rochambeau]] departed [[Newport, Rhode Island]], to meet [[George Washington]]'s [[Continental Army]] at [[Dobbs Ferry, New York]], in June 1781. They marched to [[Williamsburg, Virginia]], over the next few months, stopping at the [[Old Barracks Museum|Old Barracks]] in Trenton and [[Mount Vernon]]. In the three-week [[Siege of Yorktown (1781)|siege of Yorktown]] (now part of [[Colonial National Historical Park]], reenactment pictured) they defeated [[Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis|General Cornwallis]]'s army, soon clinching independence for the 13 colonies. Several campsites and homes on their route are preserved, including the [[Joseph Webb House]] where Washington and Rochambeau made plans for the campaign.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail |url=http://www.nps.gov/waro/ |access-date=April 11, 2021 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
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