Last October 2nd marked the 40th anniversary of the National Trails System Act. Over the ensuing four decades, a nationwide system of trails has been established connecting all 50 states. Today there are 18 national historic trails (32,400 total miles), eight national scenic trails (14,600 total miles), and over 1,050 national recreation trails (about 19,000 miles in total). The National Park Service plays key roles in administering many of these trails, managing 1,800 miles of trail corridor and processing applications for national recreation trails each year.
As part of the 40th anniversary, the WASO National Trails System Office compiled a 50-page public history called The National Trails System: A Grand Experiment. It is available free upon request. If you would like to order one or more copies, please submit your request to steve_elkinton@nps.gov. Make sure to include the number of copies desired and a shipping or mailing address.
Ruby: 1.8.7, Rails: 1.1.6