America's Best-Kept Secret: The National Recreation Trails.

We know a secret that most Americans aren't privy to, and we are going to share it with you. Do you live in Alabama? You're in luck. How about Idaho? Yes? So many choices. Perhaps you prefer to recreate in Tennessee? No problem. Little-known trails, replete with wonderful outdoor recreation opportunities, abound in the United States.

In 1968, the U.S. Congress passed the National Trails System Act (NTSA; P.L. 90-543). Included in this legislation was the authorization for establishment of a system of trails. Two types of trails, the National Scenic Trails (the Appalachian and Pacific Crest trails were the first two so designated) and the National Historic Trails (the first four were the Iditarod, the Lewis and Clark, the Mormon Pioneer and the Oregon trails), are well-known. National Scenic Trails are continuous, protected corridors for outdoor recreation, while National Historic Trails generally consist of trail segments and remnant sites (for example, past routes of exploration, migration, trade, communication, or military action). It takes congressional approval to become a National Scenic or Historic trail. To date, there are eight National Scenic Trails and 12 National Historic Trails.

So that's 20 trails in all. Also included in the NTSA are National Recreation Trails. What and where are they? And, more importantly, what do I do once I get there? Relax. We know the answers to these questions and, as we said before, we're willing to share.

What Are They?

National Recreation Trails are existing trails recognized by the federal government as contributing to the National Trails System. Whereas National Historic and Scenic trails require congressional approval, National Recreation Trails can be designated by either the secretary of agriculture or the interior. Today's National Recreation Trails include a variety of trail types, uses, lengths, topographies, history, and physical challenges. There are 822 National Recreation Trails nationwide. These trails support activities such as hiking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, motorized recreation and horseback riding, and offer Americans a wide range of outdoor recreation opportunities.

National Recreation Trails differ in physical characteristics like length, elevation, and surface type. Length may range from one-tenth of a mile (Arkansas' Buckeye Trail or Florida's Discovery Trail) to 410 miles (Pennsylvania's Grand Army of the Republic Highway Trail). Elevation varies from virtual sea level (Bayside Trail in California and the Acadian Park Trail in Louisiana) to 12,000 feet or more (Mt. Evans and Barr trails in Colorado).

Some trails may be "connector" trails with other trail systems. Some are asphalt (Bright Angel Trail in Arizona and Shelley Lake Trail in North Carolina), some are constructed from wood chips and native natural material (Redbird Fitness Trail in Kentucky and Lost Creek Trail in Missouri), others are dirt (Mackenzie Touring Trail in Michigan and Westside Overland Trail in New York) or gravel (Blue Mountain Nature Trail in Montana and Sugar River State Trail in Wisconsin). A few are slickrock (Utah's Moab Slickrock Bike Trail or Dorr Mountains Trail in Maine) or sand dunes (Seashore State Park Trail in Virginia and Tahkenitch Dunes Trail in Oregon). These variations in length, elevation, and surface type enhance the breadth of opportunities and challenges for trail users.

Where Are They?

Obviously, National Recreation Trails can be found throughout the United States. California alone has 78, including the Bizz Johnson Trail, the Columns of the Giants, and the Lewis Creek and Pony Express trails. Virginia has 16, including the Booker T. Washington and Wild Oak trails. North Dakota's four include the J. Clark Salyer Canoe and the Roughrider trails. And among the 12 in Texas are the Benbrook Lake Horseback and Lone Star trails.

In other words, there's a good chance that there is a National Recreation Trail near you. There is at least one National Recreation Trail in each state, and two in Puerto Rico.

The National Recreation Trails offer more than 10,000 miles of trails across the United States. The National Recreation Trails, not characterized by any single type of trail, are not as distinct a system as the National Scenic or National Historic trails. There are urban National Recreation Trails (Lake Washington Bike Trail in Washington or Dr. Paul Dudley White Trail in Massachusetts) and primitive National Recreation Trails (Pinnell Mountain Trail in Arkansas or Toiyabe Crest Trail in Nevada). There are mountainous (Table Rock Trail in South Carolina or

Blue Beaver Trail in Tennessee) and flat (Delaware and Raritan Canal Trail in New Jersey and Black History Trail in Washington, D.C.) National Recreation Trails.

What Do I Do There?

Some trails are single-track (Arkaquah Trail in Georgia and Crawford-Yellow Pine Trail in Idaho), others support multiple nonmotorized-vehicle use (Walnut Grove Trail in Texas and Sargent Mountain in Maine), and still others offer diversified use for motorized and nonmotorized recreationists (Cow Creek Trail in Oregon and Great Western Nature Trail in Connecticut). Do you like to walk, hike, run, or jog? Road or mountain bike? Ride horses? Inline skate? Cross-country ski? Try a National Recreation Trail. Be aware, though, that one-half of the National Recreation Trails are nonmotorized single-use. Another one-third are multiple-use nonmotorized (for example, pedestrian and equestrian). Only 10 percent offer motorized use of any kind.

The vast majority of National Recreation Trails provide parking areas, and two-thirds have restroom facilities available to the public. About half provide picnic sites and drinking water. Very few offer campsites, visitor centers, concessions, scenic overlooks, boat ramps, or fishing access.

All National Recreation Trails provide signs for the public. Most of these signs include information on trail length, rules and regulations, and trail uses. Nearly half offer interpretive signs. Relatively few signs note trail hazards. Most trail managers deem maps necessary, so remember to pick one up before you head out.

Who Manages Them?

Approximately two-thirds of our National Recreation Trails are federally managed. The USDA Forest Service manages 45 percent of them, and the U.S. Department of the Interior (Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service) manages another 10 percent. Other federal managers include the Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Tennessee Valley Authority. Most of the remaining trails are managed by local, city, county, and state entities. Six percent are managed by private companies or utilities, universities, and foundations.

Recognition for Designated Trails

The Register of National Recreation Trails (1993) notes that National Recreation Trail designation carries with it the prestige and recognition of being considered a component of the National Trails System. We found that many trail managers were not even aware that a trail they managed carried such a designation, much less that it conveyed prestige and recognition (Tynon, Chavez & Harding, 1997; Tynon, Harding & Chavez, 1998). Of the 658 National Recreation Trail managers whom we contacted, only one said that he had used the National Recreation Trail designation to enhance the ability to form a partnership. This suggests that there is an abundance of missed opportunities to gain prestige and recognition.

The lack of awareness by managers was surprising. If readers are not aware of National Recreation Trails, they are obviously in good company. Quotes from National Recreation Trail managers included:

"We haven't been able to locate this trail."

"We've talked to a lot of people, and they didn't know anything about the trail."

"No one has heard of this trail."

"There are very few people around anymore who know anything about it."

These statements are quite revealing. The last statement provides particular insight into the lack of awareness by managers. About 80 percent of the trails were designated before 1982, whereas most of the National Recreation Trail managers started their positions as managers of those trails after 1988. Most of them learned of the National Recreation Trail status via our phone call or mail correspondence. Our study found little institutional memory or record.

We did encounter some trail lore through our study. Evidently, many of these trails are federally managed because of an emphasis during the Carter administration to designate National Recreation Trails. It was suggested that each national forest and park designate two trails as National Recreation Trails. More than one-half of the trails was designated between 1978 and '81.

Another critical issue was the number of National Recreation Trails facing closure. Two different managers commented:

"The trails at this park are no longer available to the general public."

"Plans are to remove these trails in the near future."

In all, we found that six National Recreation Trails were closed. Another 15 were "no longer managed as National Recreation Trails," despite the fact that there are no management guidelines to follow once a trail is designated a National Recreation Trail.

Managers should use all possible means to keep trails open and available to the public, including using the National Recreation Trail designation to assist in building partnerships. Taking advantage of the designation could result in favorable publicity, benefits for the community, or additional protection for the trail.

The results of the survey revealed that managers consider safety their most important issue. The most frequent problem faced was resource damage. There were relatively few incidents of social conflict on the National Recreation Trails, which may result from the fact that many trails are in rural or suburban areas and are single-use. However, even multiple-use trails reported minor social conflict.

How Do I Find Them?

There are limited sources to direct you to a National Recreation Trail. The most information can be found in the Register of National Recreation Trails, which was published in 1993 by the National Park Service. This guide lists National Recreation Trails alphabetically by state. Information provided includes the name of the trail; the year it was designated a National Recreation Trail; and its open season, uses, surfaces, governing agency, and address. While it is the best current source of information, much of the data has not been updated for 25 years.

Other sources of information include the National Trails System Map and Guide, jointly produced by the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the USDA Forest Service, and a similar list provided in Outdoor Recreation: United States National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands by Charles I. Zinser (1995). Because it is based on the register, the latter comes with similar caveats.

Can I Have a Trail Designated?

Perhaps there's a trail that you believe should be considered for National Recreation Trail status. The good news is the National Park Service publishes a booklet rifled Information and Application Procedures for Designation. The bad news? Right now there is a moratorium on formal designation. In recent years, the interest in the National Recreation Trails program has diminished.

Additionally, the institutional value of this designation is slim. The National Park Service has decided to discontinue processing National Recreation Trail applications, and formed a committee to develop recommendations for revitalizing the program. The committee has developed and circulated a paper to other federal agencies and national trail partners including American Trails, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, American Hiking Society, and the National Association of State Trail Administrators. A stakeholder group, the National Recreation Trails Revitalization Roundtable, which has already met numerous times, has been established.

While this group proceeded, the White House announced the Millennium Trails program. A national initiative of the White House Millennium Council and the Department of Transportation, the program will recognize, promote, and stimulate the creation of trails to "honor the past and imagine the future." Its three objectives are to recognize the more than 2,000 trails projects in honor of the millennium, stimulating new activities to celebrate and enhance those trails; to promote existing and new trails to the public; and to support the development of new trails through new federal and state funding and private partnerships. The roundtable discussed potential problems that could arise if both the Millennium Trails and the National Recreation Trail Revitalization Roundtable projects were underway simultaneously, and decided to delay active solicitation of new National Recreation Trail applications. They have, however, begun planning other efforts toward National Recreation Trail revitalization. These efforts include streamlining the National Recreation Trail application process to link National Recreation Trail designations to National Trails Day; initiating collaborative management with federal agencies, nonprofit groups, and outfitters; developing a National Recreation Trail Web site; producing an annual newsletter for all National Recreation Trail managers; and providing technical assistance to managers for networking and funding support.

Users of National Recreation Trails will benefit from the additional management actions -- including more knowledgeable managers and possible reconstruction efforts through partnerships -- planned by the roundtable.

Note: The authors suggest that those interested contact a local trail manager for guidance on finding their nearest National Recreation Trail.

References

United States Department of the Interior. National Park Service. 1993. Register of National Recreation Trails. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.

Tynon, J. F., O.J. Chavez, and J.A. Harding. 1997. "National recreation trails: A comprehensive nationwide survey." Unpublished manuscript.

--. April 1998. "National recreation trails: An overview." National recreation trails: A * comprehensive nationwide survey. Proceedings of the 1997 Northeastern Recreation Symposium, Bolton Landing, N.Y.

Zinser, C.I. 1995. Outdoor Recreation -- United States National Parks, Forests, and Public Lends. New York: John Wiley and Sons Inc.

Deborah J. Chavez, Ph.D. is a research social scientist at the USDA Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Research Station; Joanne F. Tynon, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the Department of Forest Resources at Oregon State University; and James A. Harding is a graduate student in the School of Forestry at the University of Montana.

Research Update is edited by Dr. Irma O'Dell of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.