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National Trails Guide Interview: Lewis and Clark Trail (by Kayak)

A meadow along the Missouri River, part of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. The National Trails System is a network of Congressionally-designated trails spanning the United States. The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail is a crown jewel of this network, a legendary route that traces the voyage of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark from 1804 to 1806. This historic and treacherous mission involved traveling through parts of the continent never before visited by European-Americans, masterminded by President Thomas Jefferson. Over 4,000 miles of land and water routes today offer visitors an unforgettable vantage point of the West that most people never see. (Learn more about the trail at www.nps.gov/lecl) We interviewed Janet Moreland, an intrepid adventurer who retraced [...]

National Trails Guide Interview: Potomac Heritage Trail

The Potomac Heritage Trail is one of the 11 National Scenic Trails and follows the Potomac River through the Nation's Capital. The trail's 1,100 miles include the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (C&O) -- its geographical heart. You can experience this route on foot, by bike, horseback or watercraft. Karen is a retired teacher who biked the 184-mile C&O section of the trail. When did you become interested in biking the C&O? I discovered the C&O in 2008, while hiking the Appalachian Trail and vowed to return someday when I had completed the AT. What were some of the historical items you learned about? It was very interesting to see how freight was moved in the 1800's before the railroad arrived. Along the way we [...]

National Trails Guide Interview: Father/Son Thru-Hikers

The National Trails System is a world-class network of Congressionally-designated trails which span the United States. The Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail and similar national trails attract many outdoor enthusiasts, some of whom make plans to hike the entire length of the trail. These individuals are called thru-hikers. Our National Trails Guide site continues its thru-hiker blog series with a family who recently completed the entire Florida National Scenic Trail. These thru-hikers are an inspiration for parents and grandparents who want to introduce young people to our National Trails. This Florida family, a father and two sons, have been walking the Florida Trail since 2010 (while mom has served as their transport and Trail Angel). This year, as they finished their last 380 [...]

National Trails Guide Interview: Desert Jewel

Having completed the Triple Crown and most recently the Arizona National Scenic Trail, Fred Gaudet has been given a unique monicker on behalf of his accomplishments: "Triple Crown with a Desert Jewel!" Fred persevered through plenty of physical and natural challenges until he reached his goals. We interviewed him on behalf of our National Trails Guide fans as part of our ongoing thru-hiker blog series. How/when did you develop your passion for hiking? I started hiking with my oldest son to help us connect on a different level. I continued with all six children, including hikes into the Grand Canyon over Christmas break. Once the kids left home, I started solo hiking in Arizona and southern Utah during long weekends or on vacations trying to [...]

National Trails Guide Interview: Across America on National Trails!

The National Trails System is a world-class network of Congressionally-designated trails which span the United States. The Appalachian Trail (AT), Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and Continental Divide Trail (CDT) together cover about 8,000 miles -- people who complete all three of these long trails over a period of time are bestowed with the hiking community's 'Triple Crown.' In addition to these well-loved national trails, there is a legendary east to west route called the American Discovery Trail (ADT). This is considered a "new breed of national trail — part city, part small town, part forest, part mountains, part desert — all in one trail" according to the American Discovery Trail Society. The nearly 7,000 mile route is designated for walking and other non-motorized uses, [...]

National Trails Guide Interview: Balls and Sunshine Triple Crown 2013

The National Trails System is a world-class network of trails spanning the entire Unites States. Three of these trails have reached legendary status: the Appalachian Trail (AT), Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and Continental Divide Trail (CDT) which together cover 8,000 miles of America's most beloved and rugged mountain ranges. In 2013, the site trailjournals.com estimated that 477 people completed a thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail, 91 on the PCT and 30 on the CDT. (Thru-hikes entail walking the national trail's entire route, from beginning to end.) Of the individuals who achieve thru-hiker status each year, a much smaller group attempts to complete all three long-distance scenic trails. Usually this goal is achieved over the course of multiple years. A father-daughter team has [...]