The National Trails System: A Brief Overview
Sandra L. Johnson
Information Research Specialist
Laura B. Comay
Analyst in Natural Resources Policy
January 21, 2015
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
R43868
The National Trails System: A Brief Overview
Summary
The National Trails System was created in 1968 by the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C.
§§1241-1251). The system includes four types of trails: (1) national scenic trails (NSTs), which
display significant physical characteristics of U.S. regions; (2) national historic trails (NHTs),
which follow travel routes of national historical significance; (3) national recreation trails (NRTs),
which provide outdoor recreation accessible to urban areas; and (4) connecting or side trails,
which provide access to the other types of trails. As defined in the act, NSTs and NHTs are long-
distance trails designated by acts of Congress. NRTs and connecting and side trails may be
designated by the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture with the consent of the federal
agency, state, or political subdivision with jurisdiction over the lands involved.
Congress plays an ongoing role in shaping the National Trails System through legislation and
oversight. Broad issues for Congress include, among others:
• whether and where to establish new trails in the system,
• whether to establish new categories of trails (such as “national discovery trails”),
and
• how much funding to provide to agencies for trail management.
When designating individual trails, Congress may consider issues such as:
• how to balance trail designation with other potential land uses,
• how to address federal land acquisition, and
• whether to make specific provisions for trail use that may differ from those in the
overall act.
Congress has established 11 NSTs and 19 NHTs, as well as several NRTs (although recreation
trails are more typically designated administratively). In addition, the Secretaries of the Interior
and Agriculture have designated more than 1,200 NRTs and 6 connecting or side trails. The
scenic, historic, and connecting trails are federally administered by either the National Park
Service (NPS) and/or the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in the Department of the Interior,
or the U.S. Forest Service (FS) in the Department of Agriculture, with cooperation from states
and other entities to operate nonfederal trail segments. The roughly 1,200 national recreation
trails are typically managed by states, localities, and private organizations, except where they
cross federal lands. The act limits federal land acquisition for the trails system, with specific
provisions for different trail types.
Each federal agency with management authority over national trails has its own budget for trail
administration and management. Trails have also received funding from federal transportation
programs, private donations, permits and fees, and local excise taxes, among other sources.
Uses of the national trails may include, but are not limited to, bicycling, cross-country skiing, day
hiking, equestrian activities, jogging or similar fitness activities, overnight and long-distance
backpacking, snowmobiling, and surface water and underwater activities. Provisions for
motorized vehicle use vary among the different types of trails.
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The National Trails System: A Brief Overview
Legislation in the 113th Congress would have designated a new national recreation trail, directed
studies of various trail routes for potential addition to the system as national scenic or historic
trails, and made other changes. As in earlier Congresses, bills were also introduced to add a new
type of trail—national discovery trails—to the system.
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The National Trails System: A Brief Overview
Contents
Background ...................................................................................................................................... 1
Designation and Land Acquisition ................................................................................................... 5
Organization and Management ........................................................................................................ 6
Trail Uses ......................................................................................................................................... 7
Funding ............................................................................................................................................ 8
Legislation ....................................................................................................................................... 8
114th Congress ........................................................................................................................... 8
113th Congress ........................................................................................................................... 8
Figures
Figure 1. Map of National Scenic and National Historic Trails ...................................................... 4
Tables
Table 1. National Scenic and National Historic Trails, by Date of Designation .............................. 2
Table 2. National Trails System Bills Introduced in the 113th Congress.......................................... 9
Contacts
Author Contact Information........................................................................................................... 10
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The National Trails System: A Brief Overview
he National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. §§1241-1251)1 of 1968 established the
Appalachian and Pacific Crest National Scenic Trails, and authorized a national system of
Ttrails to provide outdoor recreational opportunities and to promote access to the nation’s
outdoor areas and historic resources. Since the act’s passage, the system has grown to encompass
trails in every U.S. state, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico.
The system includes four types of trails:
• National Scenic Trails (NSTs) display significant characteristics of the nation’s
“physiographic regions,”2 representing desert, marsh, grassland, mountain,
canyon, river, forest, or other areas. NSTs provide for outdoor recreation and for
the conservation and enjoyment of significant scenic, historic, natural, or cultural
qualities.
• National Historic Trails (NHTs)3 identify and protect travel routes of national
historic significance, along with associated remnants and artifacts, for public use
and enjoyment. NHTs can include land or water segments,4 marked highways
paralleling the route, and sites that together form a chain or network along the
historic route.
• National Recreation Trails (NRTs) are on federal, state, or private lands that are
in, or reasonably accessible to, urban areas. They provide for a variety of outdoor
recreation uses.
• Connecting or Side Trails provide public access to the other types of nationally
designated trails or connections between such trails.
Congress plays an ongoing role in shaping the National Trails System through legislation and
oversight. Congress establishes new trails within the system; directs the Administration to study
potential new trails; determines the level of agency funding for trail management; and considers
whether new trail categories (such as “national discovery trails”) should be included in the
system, among other roles. For individual trails, Congress has made specific provisions
concerning land acquisition, trail use, and other matters. Ongoing issues for Congress include
how to balance trail designation with other potential land uses, whether trail designation should
be accompanied by federal land acquisition, what activities should be permitted on trails, and how
to appropriately balance federal and nonfederal funding for trails, among other issues.
Background
During the early history of the United States, trails served as routes for commerce and migration.
Since at least the early 20th century, trails also have been constructed to provide access to scenic
areas. The first interstate recreational trail, now known as the Appalachian National Scenic Trail,
1 P.L. 90-543, as amended.
2 Descriptions of the trail types are from 16 U.S.C. §1242.
3 The National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-625) amended the original act to establish national historic
trails (NHTs) as a type of trail within the system, and it established the first four NHTs.
4 The 109th Congress established the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail (P.L. 109-418), the
nation’s first all-water national historic trail.
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The National Trails System: A Brief Overview
was developed in the 1920s and 1930s.5 In 1945, legislation to establish a “national system of
foot trails” was introduced but not reported.6 In the years following the Second World War, the
nation sought better opportunities to enjoy the outdoors.7 In 1965, in a message to Congress on
“Natural Beauty,” President Lyndon Johnson called for the nation “to copy the great Appalachian
Trail in all parts of our country, and make full use of rights-of-way and other public paths.”8
Three years later, the National Trails System Act was enacted.
The system began in 1968 with only two scenic trails: the Appalachian National Scenic Trail,
which stretches roughly 2,180 miles from Mount Katahdin, ME, to Springer Mountain, GA;9 and
the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, which covers roughly 2,650 miles along the mountains of
Washington, Oregon, and California.10 The system was expanded a decade later when Congress
designated four historic trails, with more than 9,000 miles, and another scenic trail, along the
Continental Divide, with 3,100 miles.11 Currently, the system covers almost 55,000 miles, with
trails in every state, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico.12 These include 11 NSTs, 19 NHTs, more
than 1,200 NRTs, and 6 connecting or side trails. (See Table 1 and Figure 1.) In addition, the act
authorizes the preservation of abandoned railroad rights-of-way for rails-to-trails conversions (16
U.S.C. §1247).
Table 1. National Scenic and National Historic Trails, by Date of Designation
Administering
Date of
States
Agency
Designation Legislation
National Scenic Trails (NSTs)
Appalachian NST
CT, GA, MA, MD, ME, NC,
NPS
Oct. 2, 1968
P.L. 90-543
NH, NJ, NY, PA, TN, VA,
VT, WV
Pacific Crest NST
CA, OR, WA
FS
Oct. 2, 1968
P.L. 90-543
Continental Divide NST
CO, ID, MT, NM, WY
FS
Nov. 10, 1978 P.L. 95-625
North Country NST
MI, MN, ND, NY, OH,
NPS
Mar. 5, 1980
P.L. 96-199
PA, WI
5 An October 1921 journal article proposed the idea of a series of camps along the Appalachian Mountains from New
Hampshire to North Carolina, with a trail connecting them. The trail was in place as a continuous footpath by the late
1930s. See Appalachian Trail Conservancy, “About the Trail: History,” at http://www.appalachiantrail.org/about-the-
trail/history.
6 The bill, H.R. 2142, 79th Congress, would have amended the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1944 to provide for a
system of foot trails to complement the nation’s highway system. For discussion, see Donald D. Jackson, “The Long
Way ‘Round,” Wilderness, vol. 51, no. 181 (summer 1998), pp. 19-20; and Sarah Mittlefehlt, “The Tangled Roots of
the Appalachian Trail: A Social and Environmental History” (Ph.D. diss, University of Wisconsin, 2008), pp. 150-151,
at http://books.google.com/books?id=fwG3HABAonEC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false.
7 For example, in 1958, Congress established the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission to make a
nationwide study of outdoor national recreation needs. Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission, Outdoor
Recreation for America (Washington, DC: January 1962). This report indicated that 90% of all Americans participated
in some form of outdoor recreation and that walking for pleasure ranked second among all recreation activities.
8 Congressional Record, vol. 111 (February 8, 1965), p. 2087.
9 See Appalachian Trail Conservancy, “About the Trail,” at http://www.appalachiantrail.org/about-the-trail.
10 See Pacific Crest Trail Association, “PCT FAQ,” at http://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/faq/.
11 P.L. 95-625, National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978.
12 Federal Interagency Council on Trails, National Trails System: Annual Report for FY2013, February 2014 (most
recent annual report available), p. 3, at http://www.nps.gov/nts/2013%2006MOU%20RPT%207%20Version.pdf.
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Administering
Date of
States
Agency
Designation Legislation
Ice Age NST
WI
NPS
Oct. 3, 1980
P.L. 96-370
Potomac Heritage NST
DC, MD, PA, VA
NPS
Mar. 28, 1983
P.L. 98-11
Natchez Trace NST
AL, MS, TN
NPS
Mar. 28, 1983
P.L. 98-11
Florida NST
FL
FS
Mar. 28, 1983
P.L. 98-11
Arizona NST
AZ
FS
Mar. 30, 2009
P.L. 111-11
New England NST
CT, MA
NPS
Mar. 30, 2009
P.L. 111-11
Pacific Northwest NST
ID, MT, WA
FS
Mar. 30, 2009
P.L. 111-11
National Historic Trails (NHTs)
Oregon NHT
ID, KS, MO, NE, OR, WY
NPS
Nov. 10, 1978 P.L. 95-625
Mormon Pioneer NHT
IA, IL, NE, UT, WY
NPS
Nov. 10, 1978 P.L. 95-625
Lewis and Clark NHT
IA, ID, IL, KS, MO, MT,
NPS
Nov. 10, 1978 P.L. 95-625
ND, NE, OR, SD, WA
Iditarod NHT
AK
BLM
Nov. 10, 1978 P.L. 95-625
Overmountain Victory NHT
NC, SC, TN, VA
NPS
Sept. 8, 1980
P.L. 96-344
Nez Perce NHT
ID, MT, OR, WA
FS
Oct. 6, 1986
P.L. 99-445
Santa Fe NHT
CO, KS, MO, NM, OK
NPS
May 8, 1987
P.L. 100-35
Trail of Tears NHT
AL, AR, GA, IL, KY, MO,
NPS
Dec. 16, 1987
P.L. 100-192
NC, OK, TN
Juan Bautista de Anza NHT
AZ, CA
NPS
Aug. 15, 1990
P.L. 101-365
California NHT
CA, CO, ID, KS, MO, NE,
NPS
Aug. 3, 1992
P.L. 102-328
NV, OR, UT, WY
Pony Express NHT
CA, CO, KS, MO, NE, NV,
NPS
Aug. 3, 1992
P.L. 102-328
UT, WY
Selma to Montgomery NHT
AL
NPS
Nov. 12, 1996 P.L. 104-333
El Camino Real de Tierra
NM, TX
NPS & BLM
Oct. 13, 2000
P.L. 106-307
Adentro NHT
Ala Kahakai NHT
HI
NPS
Nov. 13, 2000 P.L. 106-509
Old Spanish NHT
AZ, CA, CO, NM, NV, UT
NPS & BLM
Dec. 4, 2002
P.L. 107-325
El Camino Real de los Tejas
LA, TX
NPS
Oct. 18, 2004
P.L. 108-342
NHT
Captain John Smith
DC, DE, MD, PA, NY, VA
NPS
Dec. 19, 2006
P.L. 109-418
Chesapeake NHT
Star-Spangled Banner NHT
DC, MD, VA
NPS
May 8, 2008
P.L. 110-229
Washington-Rochambeau
CT, DC, DE, MA, MD, NJ,
NPS
Mar. 30, 2009
P.L. 111-11
Revolutionary Route NHT
NY, PA, RI, VA
Sources: 16 U.S.C. §§1241-1251; National Park Service, The National Parks: Index, 2009-2011; National Park
Service, “National Trails System: Frequently Asked Questions,” at http://www.nps.gov/nts/nts_faq.html.
Note: NPS = National Park Service; FS = U.S. Forest Service; BLM = Bureau of Land Management.
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Figure 1. Map of National Scenic and National Historic Trails
Source: National Park Service, “National Trails System Map,” at http://www.nps.gov/nts/maps.html. Figure adapted by CRS.
CRS-4
The National Trails System: A Brief Overview
Designation and Land Acquisition
NSTs and NHTs are designated by acts of Congress.13 Prior to establishing a trail, Congress
typically directs the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture to study the route for
potential inclusion in the system.14 The studies address both the suitability (i.e., characteristics
that make the proposed trail “worthy of designation as a national scenic or national historic
trail”)15 and the feasibility (i.e., physical and financial viability) of adding the trail to the system.
The act contains additional criteria for NHTs, which must (1) be established by historic use and
be significant because of that use; (2) be significant with respect to a broad facet of American
history, such as trade and commerce, exploration, migration and settlement, or military
campaigns; and (3) have significant potential for public recreational use or historical interest.16
In contrast to national scenic and historic trails, national recreation trails may be designated by
the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture with the consent of the federal agency, state, or
political subdivision with jurisdiction over the lands involved.17 Recreation trails must be
reasonably accessible to urban areas and must meet other criteria as prescribed by the act or by
the Secretaries.18 The Secretaries also have authority to designate connecting and side trails.19
For all four trail types, routes may intersect both federal and nonfederal lands. The law provides
limited authorities for federal land acquisition in connection with the trails. Along the designated
rights-of-way for NSTs and NHTs, the Secretaries may acquire land in areas that are already
under their administrative jurisdiction (e.g., on trail segments that lie within the exterior
boundaries of an existing national park or national forest but are not federally owned). Outside
their administrative boundaries, the Secretaries are to encourage state and local governments
either to acquire trail lands or to enter into agreements with private landowners for the necessary
rights-of-way. Only if state and local governments fail to do so may the federal government
acquire the land or form cooperative agreements with landowners.20 For NRTs, the provisions are
more limited, in that federal land acquisition may take place only within existing administrative
boundaries.21 Connecting and side trails may only include nonfederal lands if no federal
acquisition is involved.22
When adding individual trails to the system, Congress has often included specific land acquisition
provisions—for example, authorizing federal acquisition only from willing sellers or establishing
13 16 U.S.C. §1244(a).
14 16 U.S.C. §1244(b). The law does not explicitly require that a trail be studied before it is added to the system, but in
practice, Congress has directed a prior study for almost all of the national scenic and historic trails. The Secretaries may
not undertake trail studies without congressional authorization.
15 16 U.S.C. §1244(b)(3).
16 16 U.S.C. §1244(b)(11).
17 Although most of these trails are designated administratively, Congress has also occasionally established national
recreation trails. For example, P.L. 110-229 established the Jim Weaver Loop Trail in Oregon’s Willamette National
Forest as a national recreation trail.
18 16 U.S.C. §1243.
19 16 U.S.C. §1245.
20 16 U.S.C. §1246(d) and (e). When federal acquisition is necessary, it may take place through donations, by purchase
with donated or appropriated funds, by exchange, and, within limits, by condemnation (16 U.S.C. §1246(f) and (g)).
21 16 U.S.C. §1246(d).
22 16 U.S.C. §1245.
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a geographical boundary for land acquisition, such as within a quarter-mile on either side of the
trail.23 P.L. 111-11 gave federal land management agencies the authority to purchase land from
willing sellers for a number of trails that had previously prohibited any federal land acquisition.
Organization and Management
The 30 national scenic and historic trails are administered by either the Secretary of the Interior or
the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the land management agencies. The NPS administers
21 of the 30 trails; the FS administers 6 trails; the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
administers 1 trail; and the NPS and BLM jointly administer 2 trails.24 The administering agency
typically develops the trail management plan,25 oversees development of trail segments,
coordinates trail marking and mapping, develops maintenance standards, coordinates trail
interpretation, administers cooperative and interagency agreements, and provides financial
assistance to others for trail purposes, among other functions.26
The agencies point to a distinction between trail administration and trail management: while there
is usually only one administering agency, multiple federal agencies, state and local governments,
private groups, and individuals may own and manage lands along a national scenic or historic
trail.27 The National Trails System Act authorizes the administering Secretary to enter into
cooperative agreements with state, local, and private landowners or organizations for trail
development, operation, and maintenance.28 In addition, several federal agencies involved with
the trails signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in 2006 to coordinate federal trail
management.29
23 For examples of these types of provisions for individual trails, see 16 U.S.C. 1244(a).
24 See http://www.nps.gov/nts/nts_faq.html.
25 16 U.S.C. §1244(e) and (f) requires the Secretaries to develop management plans for all national scenic and historic
trails, in consultation with affected federal agencies, states, and other stakeholders.
26 The memorandum of understanding (MOU) cited in footnote 29, among other sources, describes agency functions
generally. Agency-specific guidance includes the following: for the National Park Service, Director’s Order 45,
National Trails System, http://www.nps.gov/policy/DOrders/DO-45(HL).pdf; for the Bureau of Land Management,
BLM Manual 6250, National Scenic and Historic Trail Administration, BLM Manual 6280, Management of National
Scenic and Historic Trails and Trails Under Study or Recommended as Suitable for Congressional Designation, and
BLM Manual 8353, Trail Management Areas, Secretarially Designated National Recreation, Water, and Connecting
and Side Trails, all available at http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/regulations/Instruction_Memos_and_Bulletins/
blm_manual.html; and for the Forest Service, FS Manual 2300, Recreation, Wilderness, and Related Resource
Management, Chapter 2350, “Trail, River, and Similar Recreation Opportunities,” at http://www.fs.fed.us/cgi-bin/
Directives/get_dirs/fsm?2300.
27 See, e.g., National Park Service, “National Trails System: Frequently Asked Questions,” at http://www.nps.gov/nts/
nts_faq.html.
28 16 U.S.C. §1246(h)(1).
29 Memorandum of Understanding 06-SU-11132424-196, “The National Trails System,” at http://www.nps.gov/nts/
memorandum2006.html. The agencies included NPS, FS, and BLM, as well as the Fish and Wildlife Service and the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, both of which manage segments of some trails, although they do not serve as primary
trail administrators. Additionally, the Federal Highway Administration, which provides transportation funding for
trails, also participated in the MOU. The MOU encourages cooperation among both federal and nonfederal land
managers in activities such as resource inventory and mapping, development of new trail segments and sites, mitigation
of resource damage, interpretation, and maintenance.
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In contrast to the NSTs and NHTs, NRTs are typically administered by states, localities, and
private organizations, with federal agencies participating when the trails cross federal lands. The
National Park Service is responsible for the overall coordination of the national recreation trails,
including nonfederal trails.30 Nonfederal trail managers have access to federal training and
technical assistance, and are eligible for some types of federal funding.31
Connecting or side trails are administered by the Secretary under whose jurisdiction the trail lands
fall.32 The six existing trails are all administered by the Secretary of the Interior.33
The FY2013 annual report of the Federal Interagency Council on Trails34 referred to a number of
management issues facing the agencies that administer the National Trails System. The issues
included tight federal agency budgets, financial constraints among partner groups, inconsistent
mapping, aging volunteers, and expansion of energy projects and the transmission grid in ways
that affect the trails. Another challenge cited was the lack of awareness among many Americans
of the system and its health, community, economic, and educational benefits.35
Trail Uses
The administering Secretary may regulate the use of federally owned portions of the national
trails, in consultation with relevant agencies.36 The Secretary may permit uses “which will not
substantially interfere with the nature and purposes of the trail.”37 Such uses may include but are
not limited to bicycling, cross-country skiing, day hiking, equestrian activities, jogging or similar
fitness activities, overnight and long-distance backpacking, snowmobiling, and surface water and
underwater activities.38 The use of motorized vehicles by the general public is typically prohibited
on national scenic trails.39 However, motorized vehicles may be allowed on national historic trails
30 However, the Forest Service administers national recreation trails within the national forests.
31 For example, designated national recreation trails may receive funding through the Federal Highway
Administration’s Recreational Trails Program, administered by the states (see http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/
recreational_trails/index.cfm), and are eligible to be considered for support through the Challenge Cost-Share Programs
of the NPS, BLM, and FS (see, e.g., http://www.nps.gov/ncrc/programs/ccsp/index.htm).
32 16 U.S.C. §1245.
33 Two connecting or side trails were designated by the Secretary of the Interior in 1990: the 18-mile Timm’s Hill Trail
in Wisconsin, which connects to the Ice Age National Scenic Trail; and the 186-mile Anvik Connector in Alaska,
which connects to the Iditarod National Historic Trail. Another four were designated by the Secretary of the Interior in
2012, all water trails that connect to the water-based Captain John Smith National Historic Trail. For more information,
see U.S. Department of the Interior, “Four Rivers in Five States to Make Up Connecting Water Trails,” press release,
May 16, 2012, at http://www.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/AMERICAS-GREAT-OUTDOORS-Secretary-Salazar-
Designates-Captain-John-Smith-Chesapeake-National-Historic-Trail.cfm.
34 The Federal Interagency Council on Trails is an interagency group that coordinates federal activities under the
National Trails System Act.
35 Federal Interagency Council on Trails, National Trails System: Annual Report for FY2013, February 2014, p. 3, at
http://www.nps.gov/nts/2013%2006MOU%20RPT%207%20Version.pdf.
36 16 U.S.C. §1246 (i).
37 16 U.S.C. §1246 (c).
38 16 U.S.C. §1246 (j).
39 Ibid. However, this provision directs the Secretary to allow motorized vehicle use in certain circumstances, such as
for emergencies and when necessary to give adjacent landowners reasonable access to their lands or timber rights.
Additionally, specific provisions for the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (16 U.S.C. §1244(a)(5)) allow
motorized use in accordance with regulations established by the administering Secretary.
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if they do not substantially interfere with the nature and purposes of the trail and were allowed by
administrative regulations at the time of designation.40
Trail uses on nonfederal lands—whether segments of scenic, historic, recreation, or connecting
trails—are typically controlled at the state and local levels. State, local, and private-sector trail
managers may work together to develop cooperative principles for use and management.41
Funding
Each agency with management authority over national trails has its own funding for carrying out
activities related to trail administration and management.42 Since 2006, federal land management
agencies have agreed, within the limits of agency authorities, to eliminate duplicate efforts and
increase effectiveness by coordinating requests for and obligation of funds for the National Trails
System.43 Since 1992, the Department of Transportation, through federal transportation programs,
has provided more than $9 billion for bicycle and pedestrian transportation projects, including
many transportation trails.44 Additional sources of funding for trails have included challenge cost-
share projects, cooperative agreements with trail partner organizations, charitable foundations,
corporations, permits and fees, local excise taxes, and dedicated funds.
Legislation
114th Congress
In the 114th Congress, S. 132, the Oregon and California Land Grant Act of 2015, would establish
a protection and management corridor on BLM lands in Oregon extending approximately one-
quarter of a mile on either side of the Pacific Crest Trail. This change had also been proposed in
S. 1784 in the 113th Congress (see below).
113th Congress
In the 113th Congress, H.R. 4685 would have designated a new Condor National Recreation Trail
in California. A number of bills were also introduced to study trails for potential addition to the
40 16 U.S.C. §1246 (c).
41 See, e.g., NPS, Appalachian Trail Project Office, Comprehensive Plan for the Protection, Management, Development
and Use of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, 1987, at http://www.nps.gov/appa/parkmgmt/upload/
CompPlan_web.pdf.
42 A total amount of federal appropriations for the National Trails System is not available, since many of the agencies
do not separately track trail funding.
43 Memorandum of Understanding 06-SU-11132424-196, “The National Trails System,” at http://www.nps.gov/nts/
memorandum2006.html.
44 See Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), “Federal-Aid Highway Program for Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities
and Programs, FY1992 to FY2013,” at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/funding/
bipedfund.cfm. The agency does not break out the portion of this funding that has gone to trails within the National
Trails System. For example, funding in FHWA’s Recreational Trails Program (a subset of the agency’s overall funding
for pedestrian and bicycle transportation) is used for recreational trails both within and outside the system.
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system as national scenic or historic trails. Other proposals (H.R. 3022 and S. 2346) would have
added a new type of trail—“national discovery trails”—to the system.45 National discovery trails
would be extended, continuous interstate trails that provide for outdoor recreation and travel and
that connect representative examples of America’s trails and communities.46 These and other 113th
bills affecting the National Trails System are shown in Table 2.
Table 2. National Trails System Bills Introduced in the 113th Congress
Bill to Designate New National Trail
Bill No.
Status
Condor National Recreation Trail (CA)
H.R. 4685
Introduced
Bills to Study Trails for Potential Addition to the System
Chief Standing Bear National Historic Trail (KS, OK, NE)
H.R. 5086
Ordered Reported
S. 2745
Introduced
United States Civil Rights Trail (unidentified states)
H.R. 2416
Introduced
H.R. 5068
Introduced
Pike National Historic Trail (MO, KS, NE, CO, NM, TX, LA)
S. 524
Hearing Held
Western States National Historic Trail (CA)
S. 60
Introduced
Buffalo Soldiers National Historic Trail (CA)a
H.R. 520
Passed House
H.R. 3131
Introduced
S. 225
Reported
Bills Affecting Existing National Trails
North Country National Scenic Trailb
H.R. 4736
Introduced
S. 2595
Introduced
Lewis and Clark National Historic Trailc S.
2590
Introduced
Old Spanish National Historic Traild S.
503
Introduced
Pacific Crest Traile S.
1784
Ordered Reported
S. 2734
Introduced
Other National Trails System Bills
National Discovery Trailsf H.R.
3022
Introduced
S. 2346
Hearing Held
National Scenic Trails Parityg
S. 2293
Hearing Held
Complete America’s Great Trailsh
H.R. 474
Introduced
S. 1160
Introduced
Source: Table compiled by the Congressional Research Service.
a. The trail study would have covered specific routes involving national park units in California, but could also
have considered routes to “any other National Parks where [Buffalo Soldiers] may have served.”
b. H.R. 4736 and S. 2595 would have extended the North Country NST into Vermont.
c. S. 2590, among other purposes, would have directed the Secretary of Agriculture to undertake a pilot
project to operate the Lewis and Clark NHT Interpretive Center through a public-private partnership.
45 Similar bills to create national discovery trails within the system were introduced in previous Congresses.
46 H.R. 3022 and S. 2346 would also have established the American Discovery Trail, extending from Delaware to
California, as the first national discovery trail.
Congressional Research Service
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The National Trails System: A Brief Overview
d. S. 503 would have established the Sangre de Cristo National Historical Park as a unit of the National Park
System. Portions of the Old Spanish NHT would have been included in the park. The bill directed that these
portions of the trail would continue to be managed by their current managing agencies, despite the inclusion
of the segments within the national historical park.
e. S. 1784, among other purposes, would have established a protection and management corridor on BLM
lands in Oregon extending approximately one-quarter of a mile on either side of the Pacific Crest Trail.
f.
H.R. 3022 and S. 2346 would have established a new trail type, national discovery trails. These extended,
continuous interstate trails would be located so as to provide for outdoor recreation and travel, and would
connect representative examples of America’s trails and communities.
g. S. 2293 would have required that the North Country, Ice Age, and New England NSTs be administered as
units of the National Park System.
h. H.R. 474 and S. 1160 would have amended the Internal Revenue Code to al ow a tax credit for the fair
market value of any NST conservation contribution. The bills also would have required the Secretary of the
Interior to study the efficacy of such a tax credit in completing, extending, and increasing the number of
NSTs.
Author Contact Information
Sandra L. Johnson
Laura B. Comay
Information Research Specialist
Analyst in Natural Resources Policy
sjohnson@crs.loc.gov, 7-7214
lcomay@crs.loc.gov, 7-6036
Congressional Research Service
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