National Historic Trail

National Historic Trail is a designation for a protected area in the United States containing historic trails and surrounding areas. They are part of the National Trails System.

National Historic Trails were authorized under the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978 (Public Law 95-625), amending the National Trails System Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-543), which had introduced National Scenic Trails and National Recreation Trails. National Scenic Trails and National Historic Trails may only be designated by an act of Congress.

National Historic Trails are designated to protect the remains of significant overland or water routes to reflect the history of the nation. Most of them are scenic highway routes and are not hiking trails, although they provide opportunities for hiking and other outdoor activities along their routes. Only one is a water trail, Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail.

List of National Historic Trails

See also

Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail

Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail is a 175-mile (282 km) long trail located on the island of Hawaii. It is not yet a continuous "trail", but can be accessed at several broken segments along the coastline of the Big Island. The trail was established to access the traditional Ancient Hawaiian culture along with the natural geology of the island. The trail was established 14th of November 2000 as a National Historic Trail which is managed under the National Park Service.

Geography

Ala kaha kai means "shoreline trail" in the Hawaiian Language. The trail follows the coastline over ancient fishermen's trails through over 200 ahupuaʻa, the traditional sea to mountain land divisions. In ancient times travel would often cover both land, and sea in canoes for portions of the journey. It passes through both public and private lands, providing access to numerous beaches and resorts.

Much of the trail receives only limited maintenance and sections have been eroded or developed into roads. Only the one section of the trail has signage.

Ala

Ala or ALA may refer to:

Places

Science

Mythology and religion

Military

Trail

A trail is usually a path, track or unpaved lane or road, though the term is also applied, in North America, to routes along rivers, and sometimes to highways. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland path or footpath is the preferred term for a walking trail. Some trails are single use and can only be used for walking, cycling, horse riding, snow shoeing, cross-country skiing, etc., others, as in the case of a bridleway in the UK, are multi-use, and can be used by walkers, cyclists and equestrians.

There are also unpaved trails used by dirt bikes and other off road vehicles. In some places, like the Alps, trails are used for moving cattle and other livestock (see transhumance). In the US historically, the term was used for a route into or through wild territory used by emigrants (e.g. the Oregon Trail).

Usage

In Australia, the term track can be used interchangeably with trail, and can refer to anything from a dirt road to an unpaved pedestrian path. The term trail gained popularity during World War II, when many servicemen from the United States were stationed in Australia, which probably influenced its being adopted by elements of the Australian media at the time (see Kokoda Track).