Blog

In Memoriam: Jere Krakow—NPS, friend of the trails

By Bill Martin, Past President of the Oregon-California Trails Association Jere Krakow, a friend of the trails and a friend to all who knew him, passed away peacefully on November 3, 2017, at his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, following a yearlong battle with cancer.…

Trail Safe! video resources for trail volunteers

By Daniel Watson, National Park Service Volunteer Coordinator with the Ice Age National Scenic Trail Greetings from the Ice Age National Scenic Trail! The colorful logo you see associated with this article is one I hope becomes very iconic for all of us in the…

PNTS Welcomes Two Communications Coordinators

By Gary Werner, Executive Director of the Partnership for the National Trails System Greetings from the Partnership for the National Trails System! We now have the services of two new experienced and skilled women to help further and amplify the good work we are all…

25 Years of the National Trails Community Working Together—Part 3

By Gary Werner, Executive Director of the Partnership for the National Trails System During 2007-2008, the Partnership for the National Trails System (PNTS) collaborated with our Federal agency national trail administrators and leaders of The American Hiking Society, American Trails, and the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy to…

GIS Analysis Identifies Remaining Wildlands along the Lewis and Clark NHT

Author: Ryan Cooper National Park Service staff recently completed a project in collaboration with The Wilderness Society using GIS to analyze the composition of land cover and status of vegetation condition and identify conservation protections along the 3,700 mile Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. The trail commemorates…

Giving Our Trails a Voice in Washington, D.C.

We Hike the Hill Above: Christy Corzine, PNTS board member, and Gary Werner, PNTS Executive Director, pose for a picture outside the Department of Interior South Building Over 100 individuals representing over 40 trail organizations from throughout the country traveled to Washington, D.C. this February to…

Government Relations

2016 In Review

2016 was a year of great opportunity and continuing challenges for the National Trails System. Here is a recap of the year and what we can expect moving forward. Congressional Actions The 114th Congress adjourned in early December after passing another Continuing Resolution to fund the…

Bill Buck’s Top 10 National Trail Sites with Outstanding Historic Experiences

Top 10 National Trail Sites with Outstanding Historic Experiences Exert from “The Top Ten Guide to National Trails” by Bill Buck. Photo by Bill Buck. The National Trails System is an essential way to immortalize our nation’s defining moments—from the tragic to the transcendent, the…

2016 National Historic Trails Workshop

An Overview From June 6th-9th, national historic trail non-profit and agency partners came together in Independence, MO for the 2016 National Historic Trails Workshop. During this time, it became apparent to me that national historic trail partners face numerous challenges. Though each trail is unique,…

We “Hike the Hill” to Give a Voice to Our National Trails

Our National Trails System Our National Trails System (NTS) spans 55,000 miles and connects with 70 National Wildlife refuges, 80 National Parks, 90 Bureau of Land Management areas, 90 National Forests, 123 Wilderness Areas, and 100 major metropolitan areas. This incredible system provides access to our…