The New England National Scenic Trail follows the routes of three long-standing trails — the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail, Mattabesett Trail and the Metacomet Trail (together referred to as the Triple-M Trail). The 220-mile route crosses through heavily populated areas in Connecticut beginning at Long Island Sound, then heads north over the Metacomet Ridge, Pioneer Valley in Massachusetts, and to the summit of Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire.
In 2000, the U.S. Congress authorized the National Park Service to research a national trail that combined the Triple-M Trail System. Senator John Kerry introduced a bill to establish the New England Trail National Scenic Trail and it became one of the newest National Trails after being signed into law by President Obama in 2009.
