47,000 miles. That’s the combined length of all the trails in the U.S. National Trails System. Created by Congress in 1968, the system began with two, well-known established trails, the 2,158-mile Appalachian and the 2,648 Pacific Crest. Since that time, the system has been increased to include eight scenic and 18 historic trails.

The trails in the system are variously maintained and managed by the National Park Service, Department of Agriculture and Bureau of Land Management.

In March of this year, the National Park Service announced grants to five “Connect the Trails to Parks” projects totaling $333,000. According to acting director of the NPS Dan Wenk, the grant program (established last year) “will enable our visitors to better appreciate both the national parks and the national trails that touch or cross the parks through new connections, better information systems, and upgraded facilities. It is wonderful way to commemorate the anniversary of the National Trails System.”

For an excellent overview article (with a title I borrowed for this post) about the National Trails System, see the digital edition of Land & People produced by the Trust for Public Land.

If you click on the Appalachian and Pacific Crest links above, you’ll see examples of associations that support and help maintain two of the trails in this system. Volunteer opportunities and hiking information are available for most trails in the system.

Volunteer hours come into play when trail maintenance needs exceed the Federal funding. For example, as reported in Land & People, volunteer hours for trails across the system totaled 720,000 with a “sweat equity” value of $22 million in 2007.

Work continues to enlarge the system as evidenced by the upcoming 12 Conference on Scenic and Historic Trails in Missoula, Montana July 12-15. The conference will address the following general issues: (1) Expanding Outreach about the National Trails to all Americans; (2) Protecting the natural and cultural resources and completing the on-the-ground trails; and (3) Increasing the Capacity of public agencies and non-profit organizations to sustain the trails and their resources.

For a list of trails and their associated nonprofit agencies, click here.

While you may never have the time and energy to be a thru-hilker, one who completes an entire trail, you’ll find many sites and sounds and a lot of good exercise hiking bits and pieces of this marvelous system.