State Trail Associations

State trail associations encourage development of corridors and pathways for walkers, joggers, cyclists, runners and skaters. The organizations run the gamut from highly organized non-profits with paid staff to loosely structured volunteer groups. Nationally recognized trails include state groups operating in cooperation with the national trails along the Great Lakes, Continental Divide, Potomac River and the Natchez Trace in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. State organizations also work in conjunction with national trails along the Appalachian Mountains and the Pacific and Atlantic coasts.
  1. Eastern State Groups

    • Volunteers working with the Mid State Trail Association maintain routes from Tioga through Everett, as part of the Great Eastern Trail. The Keystone Hiking Trail coordinates Pennsylvania trails under a confederation of volunteer trail agencies. Members of the Keystone group contribute more than 20,000 volunteer hours maintaining state trails. The Bay State Trail Riders Association works to construct and maintain equine trails in New England states.

    Western State Associations

    • The Pacific Crest Trail Association supervises the 2,650 miles of trails running from Canada to Mexico through three western coastal states. Separate state associations include the Oregon Skyline Trail and the John Muir Trail, part of the Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks; Inyo National Forest; and the Devils Postpile National Monument.

    Midwest Trail Groups

    • The Gitchi-Gami State Trail in Cook County, Minnesota, operates as a self-sufficient non-profit organization to develop trails along the North Shore of Trunk Highway 61. Membership fees support the volunteer organization and trail development. The group had more than 20 miles of trails completed in 2010. The Gateway State Trail Association, another non-profit Minnesota trail development group, is working to convert the former Soo Line railroad track in Ramsey and Washington Counties into a public trail. These groups work closely with the Minnesota Department of National Resources.

    Southern Trail Organizations

    • The Arizona Trail Association, a non-profit group working with the state and federal offices, including the Arizona State Parks and national forests and parks services, coordinates donations and volunteer workers and clubs. The trail, as of 2010, included more than 800 miles for hikers and equestrians, as well llama and mule packers.

      The Florida Trail Association began as an effort by Jim Kern in the 1960s and, by 2010, incorporated more than 1,350 miles of trails through state forests, parks and public lands. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service administers Florida trails.

      The Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail Association maintains the routes of the historic trek taken by Daniel Boone in 1775. The trail begins in present-day Kingsport, Tennessee and takes travelers through Virginia's Cumberland Gap into Kentucky.

    Island Trail Associations

    • The Maine Island Trail Association began in the 1970s as a project to provide trails along the coast and maintain the natural coastal environment. Volunteers work with the non-profit to agency promote and maintain a water and land trail incorporating more than 150 islands and mainland sites.

      Volunteers working with the Ala Kahakai Trail Association maintain the 175 miles of routes through mountains and beaches on Hawai'i's main island.

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