Smith: Given that most national trails consist of a partnership between an administering Federal agency and one or more non-profit trail organizations, if a person is interested in obtaining information about hiking a specific trail, are they better off contacting the government agency or the private organization for information? Or would each provide different types of information about the trail?
Elkinton: There are many places to get connected to trail organizations.
Our website for the entire National Trails System includes a subpage called "Meet the Partners." Clicking there will soon connect you to national and trailwide groups that contribute to keep the National Trails System vibrant. Many of the groups organize hikes and other types of excursion trips to introduce people to the trails. Many also have annual meetings and conference featuring scenic portions of these trails.
Smith: For people who enjoy day hiking or would like to combine hiking with camping into a longer trip, are there some suggestions you can make to help people get started in the decision-making process for those who just don?t know how to get started?
Elkinton: There are parts of the National Trails System in 47 of the 50 states. Many can be explored virtually on the websites of the Federal or nonprofit offices responsible for them. Many appear in guidebooks available online or in bookstores. Most people?s prime loyalties are to sites and trails near home. Start there. Take a tour that includes nearby historic sites.
Then explore other related sites farther afield. For example, if you live in Kansas City, MO, the Oregon National Historic Trail starts next door in Independence. Get to know the trail there ? there are some surprisingly well preserved ruts and historic sites in the Kansas City metro area. Then maybe plan a trip tracing the Trail west and north into Nebraska. Make it like a treasure hunt and see if you can trace the trail all the way to the Platte River. For the pioneers, as for you, this is just the beginning. In later years, perhaps you may want to re-trace the trail all the way to Oregon. Or, just fly to Oregon and explore the trail?s sites there, knowing they are connected thematically to the sites back home.
For camping and hiking there are numerous groups that equip and lead trips. Perhaps the best way to contact them is through the web or at the bulletin board of your favorite outing equipment store. Maybe all it takes is a comment to a friend expressing interest in joining them for a weekend?s trip to the mountains. Start small, start local, make it fun. Trails connect people, so build a network of trail friends and it will expand to connect you nationwide.
Smith: What?s the next big thing for the National Trails System?
Elkinton: I wish I knew. If the past decade or two are indication, here is what I suspect will happen. More trails will be added to the National Trails System. We may even see some additional hiking trails, such as the Arizona Trail. Funding will always be a problem until some enterprising trail groups figures out how to install a sustainable funding user fee through permits, memberships, local tariffs. Ideally the system as a whole should have an endowment to augment individual contributions and Federal appropriations.
As the Trails System matures and becomes better known everywhere, its routes and visitor sites will attract more users. More and more people will plan trips to re-trace certain trails. Popular trails will spawn less-used alternates, such as the proposed Great Eastern Trail west of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. Trails will continue to be complex, multi-jurisdictional entities. Collecting data about them will be hard. However, the volunteer spirit that is one of America?s most endearing hallmarks forms the foundation of this Trails System. So I have great faith that it will be a success in the long run. Too many people love these trails for the System as a whole to wither away and disappear.
Smith: Thanks, Steve. Always a pleasure to talk to you.
Anniversary of the Washington-Rochambeau march to Yorktown - courtesy of NPS Trail Partneships and Tips for Hiking the National Trails Smith: Given that most national trails consist of a partnership between an administering Federal agency and one or more non-profit trail organizations, if a person is interested in obtaining information about hiking a specific trail, are they better off contacting the government agency or the private organization for information? Or would each provide different types of information about the trail?
Elkinton: There are many places to get connected to trail organizations. Our website for the entire National Trails System includes a subpage called "Meet the Partners." Clicking there will soon connect you to national and trailwide groups that contribute to keep the National Trails System vibrant. Many of the groups organize hikes and other types of excursion trips to introduce people to the trails. Many also have annual meetings and conference featuring scenic portions of these trails.
Smith: For people who enjoy day hiking or would like to combine hiking with camping into a longer trip, are there some suggestions you can make to help people get started in the decision-making process for those who just don?t know how to get started?
Elkinton: There are parts of the National Trails System in 47 of the 50 states. Many can be explored virtually on the websites of the Federal or nonprofit offices responsible for them. Many appear in guidebooks available online or in bookstores. Most people?s prime loyalties are to sites and trails near home. Start there. Take a tour that includes nearby historic sites. Then explore other related sites farther afield. For example, if you live in Kansas City, MO, the Oregon National Historic Trail starts next door in Independence. Get to know the trail there ? there are some surprisingly well preserved ruts and historic sites in the Kansas City metro area. Then maybe plan a trip tracing the Trail west and north into Nebraska. Make it like a treasure hunt and see if you can trace the trail all the way to the Platte River. For the pioneers, as for you, this is just the beginning. In later years, perhaps you may want to re-trace the trail all the way to Oregon. Or, just fly to Oregon and explore the trail?s sites there, knowing they are connected thematically to the sites back home.
For camping and hiking there are numerous groups that equip and lead trips. Perhaps the best way to contact them is through the web or at the bulletin board of your favorite outing equipment store. Maybe all it takes is a comment to a friend expressing interest in joining them for a weekend?s trip to the mountains. Start small, start local, make it fun. Trails connect people, so build a network of trail friends and it will expand to connect you nationwide.
Smith: What?s the next big thing for the National Trails System?
Elkinton: I wish I knew. If the past decade or two are indication, here is what I suspect will happen. More trails will be added to the National Trails System. We may even see some additional hiking trails, such as the Arizona Trail. Funding will always be a problem until some enterprising trail groups figures out how to install a sustainable funding user fee through permits, memberships, local tariffs. Ideally the system as a whole should have an endowment to augment individual contributions and Federal appropriations.
As the Trails System matures and becomes better known everywhere, its routes and visitor sites will attract more users. More and more people will plan trips to re-trace certain trails. Popular trails will spawn less-used alternates, such as the proposed Great Eastern Trail west of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. Trails will continue to be complex, multi-jurisdictional entities. Collecting data about them will be hard. However, the volunteer spirit that is one of America?s most endearing hallmarks forms the foundation of this Trails System. So I have great faith that it will be a success in the long run. Too many people love these trails for the System as a whole to wither away and disappear.
Smith: Thanks, Steve. Always a pleasure to talk to you.
Elkinton: There are many places to get connected to trail organizations.
Our website for the entire National Trails System includes a subpage called "Meet the Partners." Clicking there will soon connect you to national and trailwide groups that contribute to keep the National Trails System vibrant. Many of the groups organize hikes and other types of excursion trips to introduce people to the trails. Many also have annual meetings and conference featuring scenic portions of these trails.
Smith: For people who enjoy day hiking or would like to combine hiking with camping into a longer trip, are there some suggestions you can make to help people get started in the decision-making process for those who just don?t know how to get started?
Elkinton: There are parts of the National Trails System in 47 of the 50 states. Many can be explored virtually on the websites of the Federal or nonprofit offices responsible for them. Many appear in guidebooks available online or in bookstores. Most people?s prime loyalties are to sites and trails near home. Start there. Take a tour that includes nearby historic sites.
Then explore other related sites farther afield. For example, if you live in Kansas City, MO, the Oregon National Historic Trail starts next door in Independence. Get to know the trail there ? there are some surprisingly well preserved ruts and historic sites in the Kansas City metro area. Then maybe plan a trip tracing the Trail west and north into Nebraska. Make it like a treasure hunt and see if you can trace the trail all the way to the Platte River. For the pioneers, as for you, this is just the beginning. In later years, perhaps you may want to re-trace the trail all the way to Oregon. Or, just fly to Oregon and explore the trail?s sites there, knowing they are connected thematically to the sites back home.
For camping and hiking there are numerous groups that equip and lead trips. Perhaps the best way to contact them is through the web or at the bulletin board of your favorite outing equipment store. Maybe all it takes is a comment to a friend expressing interest in joining them for a weekend?s trip to the mountains. Start small, start local, make it fun. Trails connect people, so build a network of trail friends and it will expand to connect you nationwide.
Smith: What?s the next big thing for the National Trails System?
Elkinton: I wish I knew. If the past decade or two are indication, here is what I suspect will happen. More trails will be added to the National Trails System. We may even see some additional hiking trails, such as the Arizona Trail. Funding will always be a problem until some enterprising trail groups figures out how to install a sustainable funding user fee through permits, memberships, local tariffs. Ideally the system as a whole should have an endowment to augment individual contributions and Federal appropriations.
As the Trails System matures and becomes better known everywhere, its routes and visitor sites will attract more users. More and more people will plan trips to re-trace certain trails. Popular trails will spawn less-used alternates, such as the proposed Great Eastern Trail west of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. Trails will continue to be complex, multi-jurisdictional entities. Collecting data about them will be hard. However, the volunteer spirit that is one of America?s most endearing hallmarks forms the foundation of this Trails System. So I have great faith that it will be a success in the long run. Too many people love these trails for the System as a whole to wither away and disappear.
Smith: Thanks, Steve. Always a pleasure to talk to you.
Anniversary of the Washington-Rochambeau march to Yorktown - courtesy of NPS Trail Partneships and Tips for Hiking the National Trails Smith: Given that most national trails consist of a partnership between an administering Federal agency and one or more non-profit trail organizations, if a person is interested in obtaining information about hiking a specific trail, are they better off contacting the government agency or the private organization for information? Or would each provide different types of information about the trail?
Elkinton: There are many places to get connected to trail organizations. Our website for the entire National Trails System includes a subpage called "Meet the Partners." Clicking there will soon connect you to national and trailwide groups that contribute to keep the National Trails System vibrant. Many of the groups organize hikes and other types of excursion trips to introduce people to the trails. Many also have annual meetings and conference featuring scenic portions of these trails.
Smith: For people who enjoy day hiking or would like to combine hiking with camping into a longer trip, are there some suggestions you can make to help people get started in the decision-making process for those who just don?t know how to get started?
Elkinton: There are parts of the National Trails System in 47 of the 50 states. Many can be explored virtually on the websites of the Federal or nonprofit offices responsible for them. Many appear in guidebooks available online or in bookstores. Most people?s prime loyalties are to sites and trails near home. Start there. Take a tour that includes nearby historic sites. Then explore other related sites farther afield. For example, if you live in Kansas City, MO, the Oregon National Historic Trail starts next door in Independence. Get to know the trail there ? there are some surprisingly well preserved ruts and historic sites in the Kansas City metro area. Then maybe plan a trip tracing the Trail west and north into Nebraska. Make it like a treasure hunt and see if you can trace the trail all the way to the Platte River. For the pioneers, as for you, this is just the beginning. In later years, perhaps you may want to re-trace the trail all the way to Oregon. Or, just fly to Oregon and explore the trail?s sites there, knowing they are connected thematically to the sites back home.
For camping and hiking there are numerous groups that equip and lead trips. Perhaps the best way to contact them is through the web or at the bulletin board of your favorite outing equipment store. Maybe all it takes is a comment to a friend expressing interest in joining them for a weekend?s trip to the mountains. Start small, start local, make it fun. Trails connect people, so build a network of trail friends and it will expand to connect you nationwide.
Smith: What?s the next big thing for the National Trails System?
Elkinton: I wish I knew. If the past decade or two are indication, here is what I suspect will happen. More trails will be added to the National Trails System. We may even see some additional hiking trails, such as the Arizona Trail. Funding will always be a problem until some enterprising trail groups figures out how to install a sustainable funding user fee through permits, memberships, local tariffs. Ideally the system as a whole should have an endowment to augment individual contributions and Federal appropriations.
As the Trails System matures and becomes better known everywhere, its routes and visitor sites will attract more users. More and more people will plan trips to re-trace certain trails. Popular trails will spawn less-used alternates, such as the proposed Great Eastern Trail west of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. Trails will continue to be complex, multi-jurisdictional entities. Collecting data about them will be hard. However, the volunteer spirit that is one of America?s most endearing hallmarks forms the foundation of this Trails System. So I have great faith that it will be a success in the long run. Too many people love these trails for the System as a whole to wither away and disappear.
Smith: Thanks, Steve. Always a pleasure to talk to you.
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