The National Trails Act of 1968 cemented the status of America's best recreational trails, but it wasn't until the next decade that the concept of protecting our legacy through National Historic Trails (NHTs) came to the fore. Steve Elkinton of the National Park Service calls them "pilgrimage routes," and "dynamic stories of movement across our landscape-stories that are best told and experienced on the land or water."

There are three main criteria for becoming a NHT:

• First, the trail has to have been the actual route of travel of a person or event that has national significance, as ruled upon by the National Park Service Advisory Board (the event could be anything from a military campaign to a trade route to an immigration path).
• Second, it has to be a route that was documented well enough that we can establish its exact location with certainty.
• Third, people must be able to enjoy the trail today from a recreational perspective.

The biggest challenge in designating National Historic Trails is the fact that so much history has already receded from our grasp. "Historic trails are hard to present because of subsequent changes," says Elkinton. "What might have been a dusty road where French troops marched years ago is now a four-lane highway. It's hard to present it as a coherent travel path, especially in urban areas." Additionally, people didn't always follow organized paths. The routes can be discontinuous and complex; says Elkinton, "The search for authenticity never ends. You may think you know where the Oregon Trail is until you find a new journal."

The most recently created National Historic Trail, which was designated last year, is the Captain John Smith Water Trail. This water trail rims the Chesapeake and tracks the voyages of Smith, one of first Jamestown settlers, who discovered 200 Native American communities and documented the shoreline of Chesapeake.

In part due to the "repurposing" of historic trails over time by residents and the lack of remnants, there are presently no National Historic Trails in New England- but that may be about to change. The proposed Washington-Rochambeau Trail marks a chapter in Revolutionary history in which the French, at the behest of Ben Franklin, sent help to the Americans in their fight against the British. The troops-under the command of General Rochambeau-arrived and spent the winter in Newport, Rhode Island; marched with heavy artillery across Connecticut; moved down the Atlantic coast; and helped George Washington defeat the Redcoats. French cartographers meticulously chronicled the route, allowing us to reconstruct their travels with astonishing accuracy today.

The trail with the most recent history is the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail which commemorates the events, people, and route of the 1965 Voting Rights March in Alabama. The 54-mile trail follows the historic voting rights march by beginning at the Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church in Selma, and crossing the Edmond Pettus Bridge. The marchers traveled along U.S. Highway 80 in Dallas County, continued through Lowndes County and Montgomery County, and ended the five day trek at the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery.

It's not easy to win designation as a National Historic Trail. If you feel your trail has merit, an important step is to work with your Congressional delegation to get a bill passed requesting a feasibility study. But before that can happen, you must develop a strong citizen base of support that will advocate for the trail over the long term. Grassroots advocacy is key, says Elkinton: "A trail with a well-organized constituency is essential to success."

If you're working on restoring a river, building a trail, or making an urban park flourish, we'd love to talk with you about ways we might be able to work together. Please call or email your regional representative today to determine if your project is a good fit. Find more information and previous newsletters here.

Apply for NPS assistance by August 1. Could your project benefit from 1-2 years' staff time and technical assistance from a National Park Service specialist? We want to help you succeed. Download a program application; the deadline is August 1, 2008.