New Long-Distance Trail Could Be In The Offing For Hikers With Time On Their Hands

For hikers with an inordinate amount of time on their hands, good feet and extra boots, a trail stretching nearly 7,000 miles and meandering through 21 states might soon be ready for them. Put another way, you could walk through the woods and across the prairies from North Dakota to Georgia.

Whether it comes to reality depends on whether the Congress passes legislation to extend the North Country National Scenic Trail to the east so it can connect with the Appalachain National Scenic Trail in Vermont.

On Wednesday, the House Natural Resources Committee sent to the House floor H.R. 1026, which would "revise the authorized route of the North Country National Scenic Trail in northeastern Minnesota and to extend the trail into Vermont to connect with the Appalachian National Scenic Trail."

While the North Country Trail Association describes the trail as "the longest in the National Trails System, stretching 4,600 miles over seven states from the middle of North Dakota to the Vermont border of New York," the House legislation notes that there are gaps in the trail. While the measure wouldn't stop the National Park Service from acquiring land from willing sellers to fill in some gaps, it would prohibit the Agriculture and Interior departments from acquiring land in Minnesota or Vermont that those states obtained through condemnation,

According to the trail association, the North Country Trail passes through "a National Grassland, ten National Forests, more than 150 federal, state and local public lands; near three of the Great Lakes; past countless farmlands; through large cityscapes; over many rivers; and through the famed Adirondacks."

The trail was authorized by Congress in 1980 and has been largely built by volunteers.

The Appalachian Trail, of course, is the granddaddy of U.S. foothpaths and stretches from Mount Katahdin in northern Maine to Springer Mountain in Georgia, a distance of roughly 2,181 miles.

While the North Country Trail touches parts of North Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, the Appalachian Trail runs through parts of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Georgia.