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Appalachian National Scenic Trail

The Overlooked Promise Of The National Trails System

When we think about the National Park System, we don't always think of National Scenic Trails being part of the system, which is a huge mistake. Some of the country's greatest hiking trails are part of the system. Trails such as the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, the North Country National Scenic Trail, even the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail.

National Parks Traveler Episode 99: A Perspective On The Appalachian National Scenic Trail

Hiking the Appalachian Trail.

2021 marks 100 years since forester and planner Benton MacKaye penned an article that conceived a trail connecting farmlands, mountain ranges, camps, and towns along the Appalachian Mountain Range. Sixteen years later, the Appalachian Trail was completed, traversing through 14 eastern states for more than 2,100 miles. Each year an estimated three million people take to the trail.  

Op-Ed | Present Day Graffiti Vs. Historical Graffiti In National Parks – What’s The Difference?

Vandalism in its many forms, seems to be continuing unabated in the national parks. The Leave No Trace Seven Principals don’t appear to apply to those who wish to let others know they were there in the form of acrylic paint on 180-million year old sandstone and gouges into rock and living trees in places like Zion, Joshua Tree, Olympic, and Redwood national parks? Is modern graffiti on protected lands considered art and future history for archeologists, much like the ancient petroglyphs and pictographs now safeguarded within the boundaries of natural parks, national memorials, and other park units? Or is it a despoiling of protected National Park Service lands by a selfish few who apparently learned no respect for keeping the landscape unblemished for the enjoyment of present and future generations? Contributing editor and photographer Rebecca Latson offers her own thoughts on the subject.

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