National Trails Day in the United States Date in the current year: June 1, 2024

A trail is a path, track or unpaved lane or road that can be used for different purposes including walking, horse riding, cycling, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. Trails can have various uses depending on the setting, but a lot of people primarily associate them with hiking.

Hiking in the United States began to develop in the 19th century. The country’s oldest outdoor group, the Appalachian Mountain Club, was created in 1876 to protect the mountains and hiking trails in New Hampshire and eventually expanded throughout northeastern United States.

A great contribution to the development of hiking and hiking trails in the United States was made by President Lyndon B. Johnson who signed the National Trails System Act into law in 1968. The act created an official trail network that can be used for tourism, recreation, and education.

The National Trails System currently consists of 11 national scenic trails, 19 national historic trails, more than 1,300 national recreation trails, 7 connecting or side trails, and a national geologic trail. Their total length is over 88,000 miles (140,000 kilometers). These trails provide opportunities for education, hiking, camping, biking, horseback riding, and other outdoor activities.

In 1976, the American Hiking Society was created in Maryland to boost interest in hiking and preserve trails and surrounding areas. It unites people who love hiking and believe that everyone should feel welcome on all hiking trails. The core values of the American Hiking Society are justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

The American Hiking Society launched National Trails Day in 1993. The observance is officially supported by federal partners such as the United States Forest Service of the USDA, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management of the U. S. Department of the Interior, and the Federal Highway Administration of the U. S. Department of Transportation.

The main goals of the holiday are to celebrate trails and bring together people who love being outdoors, promote the nationwide movement of giving back to the trails that bring people together and help them keep fit and stress-free, and raise awareness that some of the trails are in dire need of help from their local community.

If you want to get involved with National Trails Day, you can find an event near you on the American Hiking Society website or organize an event of your own, explore your local trail with a friend, learn more about various recreational opportunities offered by trails, show appreciation to volunteers who keep hiking trails in a pristine condition, become a volunteer yourself to help maintain your local hiking trail, and promote the holiday on social media using the hashtag #NationalTrailsDay.