ADT

February 13, 2024

Toward the back of the front section of my local newspaper, I came across a USA Today article on a woman who completed a two year trail journey across the US.  Briana DeSanctis set out on January 1, 2022, from the Atlantic Ocean and arrived at the Pacific this last Sunday (February 11, 2024).  Years ago, DeSanctis completed the 2,190 mile (3,524 km) Appalachian Trail and said she felt like she needed a new challenge.  The trail crosses the Colorado Rockies at an elevation of over 13,000 feet (3,962+ m).  DeSanctis backtracked to be able to hike both the northern and southern sections of the cross country trail.  The trek included long solitary stretches but was interspersed by encounters with the diversity of America’s inhabitants.  “Everyone that you meet takes you in and shows you a little part of their world,” DeSanctis had previously said.  DeSanctis documented her journey on social media and regular columns for the Daily Bulldog, a Maine news outlet.  She is the first woman the American Discovery Trail Society is aware of who completed the trail on her own.

When I went online, I found the American Discovery Trail (ADT) is a system of recreational trails and roads that collectively form a coast-to-coast hiking and biking trail across the mid-tier of the US.  Horses can also be ridden along most of the trail.  The coastal trailheads are Cape Henlopen State Park (Delaware) on the Atlantic Ocean and Point Reyes National Seashore near San Francisco (California) on the Pacific Ocean.  The middle of the trail has northern (through Chicago) and southern alternates (through St. Louis).  The total length of the trail, including both the north and south routes, is 6,800 miles (10,900 km).  The northern route covers 4,834 miles (7,780 km) with the southern route covering 5,057 miles (8,138 km).  The ADT is the only non-motorized coast-to-coast trail in the US.  Along the way, the trail passes through 14 national parks, 16 national forests, and uses sections of or connects to 5 National Scenic Trails, 10 National Historic Trails, and 23 National Recreation Trails.  Part of this distance coincides with the North Country Trail (Midwest and Northeastern US), the Buckeye Trail (Ohio), the Continental Divide Trail (Colorado), and the Colorado Trail (Colorado).  The ADT passes through 15 states and the District of Columbia.  That is a long hike.

The National Trails System Act of 1968, as amended, calls for establishing trails in both urban and rural settings for people of all ages, interests, skills, and physical abilities.  This trail system is designed to promote the enjoyment and appreciation of trails while encouraging greater public access to the diversity and ecosystems of the US.   The National Park Service (NPS) oversees the development of trails and encourages both public and private agencies to develop, maintain, and protect the trails.  The ultimate vision is for the cooperation and support of a nationwide trails community to create an interconnected, cross-country trail system to include national scenic trails, national historic trails, and national recreation trails.  The NPS website currently lists 11 National Scenic trails, 21 National Historic trails, and almost 1,300 National Recreation trails located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

THOUGHTS:  I have yet to hike any of the ADT system.  When I lived in Utah, I used to take my son on many weekends to hike the canyons and trails of the southeastern part of the state.  These were exhausting yet exhilarating hikes that became what I loved most about my time there.  Now that my son has a family of his own, they take time to hike the scenic trails of the Northwest.  He also joins friends on an annual trek along a portion of one of the many trails systems.  Sharing what you love with others creates an opportunity for them to in turn pass that love along.  It is the basis of nurture and culture.  Act for all.  Change is coming and it starts with you.