Allegheny Trail | American Discovery Trail | Arizona Trail | Bartram Trail | Bay Area Ridge Trail | California Coastal Trail | Great Western Trail | Northville-Placid Trail | Sheltowe Trace | Tahoe Rim Trail | Vermont's Long Trail | New York and New Jersey's Long Path

Perhaps the most famous long distance trails are the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail and their companions in the National Scenic Trail system. But there are many great trails that don't have the official designation. Here's a sampler of trails that will satisfy any hikers dream of extended escape, whether it's a week, a season, or longer. Check out our guide to seven great long-distance trails across the country, plus take a look GORP's coverage of National Scenic Trails and National Historic Trails. Don't forget the compass!

Allegheny Trail
Route: Eastern Contintental Divide in West Virginia and Virginia.
The Allegheny Trail crosses and follows the Eastern Continental Divide in the rugged Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia and Virginia. When complete, it will extend 330 miles from Preston County West Virginia, near the Pennsylvania border, to the Appalachian Trail in Monroe County, West Virginia. It offers a variety of hiking experiences: solitude in remote corridors, the gurgling melody alongside a mountain stream, spectacular views along the spine of the Allegheny Mountains, walks by rural farmland, and always fascinating geology. The Allegheny Trailhead can be reached by exiting I-64 at Jerry's Run (Exit 1).

American Discovery Trail
Route: Coast to coast, from Point Reyes in California to Delaware.
Indeed the great American trail, the American Discovery Trail connects U.S. towns and the cities to the wide open spaces. This trail has been mapped, but not fully connected. When finished, the ADT will connect five of the National Scenic Trails, 10 of the National Historic Trails, 23 of the National Recreational Trails, and many other local and regional trails. To learn more, visit the ADT website.

Arizona Trail
Route: 750 miles up and down Arizona's mountain ranges, from Mexico to Utah.
A rollercoaster ride through Arizona's many ecological zones as you venture through desert, forest and alpine mountain top: sometimes in the same day.

Click to see detailed description of the Arizona Trail.

Bartram Trail
Route: Meanders through North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
This trail traces the footsteps of 18th century naturalist William Bartram through the wilds of three southern states: North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. This trail rivals the Appalachian, but its fame is eclipsed by its brassy older sister. Excellent wildlife viewing and fishing along the way.

Click to see a detailed description of the Bartram Trail.

Bay Area Ridge Trail
Route: Ridge line above California's San Francisco Bay.
This 400-mile trail proposes to connect public parklands and watersheds of the Bay Area greenbelt circling San Francisco Bay. Enraptured views and amazing wildlife in the heart of urbanized California.

Click to see detailed descriptions of sections of the Bay Area Ridge Trail.

California Coastal Trail
Route: Coastline of California.
Made to order for lovers of the ocean and the shore, the California Coastal Trail ventures for 1200 miles from Mexico to Oregon, hugging California's dramatic coastline all the way.

Click to see detailed descriptions of sections of the California Coastal Trail.

Great Western Trail
Route: Mexico to Canada.
Partnership Organization: Great Western Trail Association, P.O. Box 1428, Provo, Utah 84602
The Great Western Trail will be a continuous corridor stretching from Mexico to Canada, and traversing some of the most spectacular scenery in the West. Travelers on this network of trails will be able to explore the rich cultural and geological features of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.

This multiple-use trail is to be a corridor across National Forest, Bureau of Land Management, National Park, state, and private lands. There will be separate sections open to motorized vehicles, horses, and mountain bikes, as well as to hikers. In some areas, parallel sections of trail are being constructed to provide for a variety of recreational opportunities.

Click to see a detailed description of the Great Western Trail through Utah

Northville-Placid Trail
Route: From the foothills through the High Peaks of the Adirondack Mountains.
The trail, pursuing a northerly course, connects the picturesque southern Adirondack foothills and scenic High Peaks region to the north. Lakes and ponds of all sizes and uncounted streams are met at every turn as the trail winds northward up valleys, along ridges and over mountains. The land is mainly forested, and though none of the timber is virgin, trees of considerable size reflect over 50 years of state ownership and conservation.

The Northville-Placid Trial traverses approximately 133 miles of forests, is marked with blue markers, and requires an average of 19 days to hike.

Click to see a detailed description of the Northville-Placid Trail

Sheltowe Trace
Route: Pickett State Park, Tennessee past Morehead, Kentucky.
This 268 mile trail traces ground covered by Daniel Boone, John Muir and other explorers through Tennessee and Kentucky. Click here for more details.

Tahoe Rim Trail
Route: Complete loop of the Lake Tahoe Basin.
For 150 miles, the Tahoe Rim Trail follows the alpine crest of the basin around Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada of California and Nevada. This is a brand new trail that is open to hiking, horseback riding and, in season, cross-country skiing. GORP has an excellent feature on helping to construct the trail.

Vermont's Long Trail
Route: Length of Vermont from Massachusetts to Canada.
This is one of the oldest trails in the U.S. The trail covers 270 miles, and if you can add another 175 miles of side trails. The going on this trail is rough and rugged through some of the east's most compelling wilds.

New York & New Jersey's Long Path
Route: George Washington Bridge, Ft. Lee, N.J. to Albany, N.Y. vicinity.
Its name was inspired by Walt Whitman's poem Song of the Open Road: "There lies before me a long brown path, leading wherever I choose". Today the Long Path is a 326 mile hiking trail extending from the George Washington Bridge, north to John Boyd Thatcher Park near Albany. Future plans are to extend the trail to the Mohawk River and eventually into the Adirondacks. For details on the Long Path, contact the New York - New Jersey Trail Conference.