The U.S. Just Made 3 Additions to Its National Parks System
Nature lovers, rejoice. There are officially three new entrants to the U.S. National Parks system.
This week, the NPS designated three new National Scenic Trails, making them the 426th, 427th, and 428th units of the National Parks system. The Ice Age, New England, and North Country National Scenic Trails join only three other trails in the country with that designation. All 428 units of the system are referred to as parks, across different naming conventions like national battlefield, national seashore, national historic site, and national monument.
“Their combined 5,500-plus miles travel through parts of 10 states and hundreds of communities, from large cities to rural towns, providing countless close-to-home opportunities for people to easily access green space and enjoy the benefits of outdoor recreation,” said Park Service Director Chuck Sams in a press release.
As you gear up for your 2024 outdoor adventures in the National Parks system, learn a little more about each trail below:
- Ice Age National Scenic Trail: stretches nearly 1,200 across the state of Wisconsin, traversing an area covered in ice just 15,000 years ago.
- New England National Scenic Trail: 235 miles of trail in Connecticut and Massachusetts, stretching from the Long Island Sound to the border of New Hampshire. It includes coastal vistas, historic town centers, and stunning mountaintops.
- North Country National Scenic Trail: the longest National Scenic Trail in the country, it stretches for 4,800 from Middlebury, VT all the way to North Dakota. Along the way it passes through New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. This trail is still under construction, with more than 2,000 miles already open.
