When the National Park Service talks about trails, hikers listen. More than 80,000 miles of America’s trails have a connection to the National Park Service. That’s a lot of trail to maintain—and more trails are being designed and built.
 
 
In its most recent “Conservation and Recreation” bulletin, the National Park Service profiles its trails and give thanks to the many partnerships it has with dedicated volunteers, advocacy groups and local governments.
 
The Trailmaster says three—make that four—cheers for the National Park Service. In the realm of trails, the National Park Service has four major areas of endeavor, and in its November bulletin describes them:
 
1. National Parks  Every year thousands of volunteers spend tens of thousands of hours doing trail work on the over 18,000 miles of trails in national parks. These trails range from intensely rugged backcountry trails to trails accessible to everyone, from hiking and walking trails to bicycling and horseback trails.  There is a huge collective investment in these park trails, so maintaining and protecting them is a constant labor for NPS and all those volunteers.

2. Community Assistance  Each year, NPS assists communities and local advocates who are creating or conserving trails, greenways, and open spaces through its Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program. Through consultations and technical assistance, NPS helps partners develop over 1,300 miles of new trails every year.  The NPS role is to catalyze the community and local partners, break down barriers, and help the partners find answers to tough questions about funding, conservation, and project management.
 
3. National Trails System
Unlike national park trails and community trails, the National Trails System has a specific legislative mandate: to promote preservation and access to outdoor areas and historic resources;
to institute a national system of trails; and to encourage Americans to get involved with those trails.  That has translated into over 50,000 miles of national scenic, historic, and recreational trails where NPS has a permanent administrative relationship, ranging from historic trails that tell America's story, like the Lewis and Clark or the Selma to Montgomery trails, to remote and stunning scenic trails like the Ice Age Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail.  And, every year the Secretary of the Interior designates new National Recreation Trails in response to local nominations.
 
4. Discovery Trails
For almost 20 years, advocates have been working on adding the American Discovery Trail to the National Trails System.  When that happens, it will be the first of a new category: National Discovery Trails.  Anticipating passage of a National Discovery Trails Act, other interstate, interurban, and multi-modal discovery trails are forming now at the grassroots level.  Some that may join the list: the East Coast Greenway and the Mississippi River Trail.