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Whether it is hometown, USA or State and national parks, it is exciting to hear about all the wonderful things that are happening in the United States when it comes to Hiking. New trails, projects or programs are always being launched. Knowing what is going in local communities is a great way to stay connected to fellow travelers, and you never know, what’s happening in your area might become hiking in the news and draw avid hikers to your beautiful home town.
New Trails
During the last couple of years, trends have shown that there was an increasing amount of hikers. Many folks were itching to get out of their homes and get out in nature. From adventure, to getting away from the city, peace or just for the love of it, millions took to the trails across the country.
With more hikers, comes more trails! Below are new trails or trails that are underconstruction.
- Plywood Trail, Iowa: This new trail is under construction and will connect LeMars & Sioux City, Iowa. The trail will be approximately 16 miles long and will be a multi use trail. This trail is part of Iowa’s initiative to encourage outdoor recreation among its residents.
- Madison Branch, Maine: Once a railway line, this abandoned railroad is being turned into a multi-use trail. It will be purposed for ATVs, biking, hiking and serveral other outdoor activities. The trail is going to be approximately 32 miles and runs through Kennebec and Somerset Counties. (Please note there is currently not a site available for this trail.)
- Blue Ridge Tunnel, Crozet Tunnel Greenway, Virginia: This is an interesting trail. This trail opened at the end of 2020. What is interesting about this trail is that it goes through a tunnel that is 4,264 ft long. The total distance of the trail is 2.25 miles. The tunnel is a former rail tunnel that was built in 1950s. Fun fact: A few articles in my research mentioned it may be haunted. What do you think of that? As a note, it is recommended that you bring a head lamp or a flashlight, the tunnel is not lit. Please comment if you have been here, I’d love to hear about it!
- Lone Moutain Trail, Texas: The Lone Mountain Trail is expected to break ground this year (2022) and is located in Big Bend National Park. The trail will be a 3 mile loop that starts at Panther Junction and will trek through the Chihuahuan desert. The trail will run around the volcanic Lone Mountain and will be full of desert life and plants. The trail has been lableled moderately challenging.
- Lost Sierra Route, Northern California: This trail is expected to open in 2023 with the intent to be fully complete by 2030. This route will intertwine 600 miles of multi-use trails. The trail will travel throught 15 historic mining towns. The trail has historic value tied to mining and the mail delivery route during the Gold Rush era.
Feel Good Stories
- Glacier National Park: A six year old girl misplaced her special teddy bear, “Teddy”, on a trail in Glacier National Park. The bear had significant importance because it was the bear she received when being adopted from an Ethiopian Orphanage. Teddy was also her travel buddy and had gone on many trips and vacations with the young girl and her family. Thanks to community outreach and social media, the bear was found sitting in a truck. A park ranger had found him and not had the heart to throw him away. Happily, Teddy has been reunited with his young owner and will enjoy many more adventures with her.
- Appalachian Trail: M.J. Eberhart, nicknamed “Nimblewill Nomad”, became the oldest person to hike the Appalachian Trail. The trail which starts in Georgia and ends in Maine is 2,193 miles long. Eberhart is no stranger to hiking. He has been on the trails since 1993 and has written a book called Ten Million Steps. The book describes previous hikes including a trek he made from Newfounland to Florida. Eberhart was joined for the last leg of the hike by Dale Sanders, who was the previous record holder for oldest person to hike the Appalachian Trail.
2022 Updates
- Many national parks are requiring or continuing to require reservations in 2022. Tickets can be for a particular trail or for the trails in general. Some national parks have incorproated day use tickets or a time entry reservation system. Before traveling or going for your hike, check to make sure you do not require a reservation. Fees may be required for reservations.
- Fee Free Days: National Parks will be offering fee free days on the below holidays. Make sure to confirm before traveling. Reservations may still be required.
- Monday, January 19 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- Saturday, April 17 – First day of National Park Week
- Sunday, August 4 – Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
- Wednesday, August 25 – National Park Service Anniversary
- Saturday, September 25 – National Public Lands Day
- Monday, November 11 – Veterans Day
What Were They Thinking
- Big Bend National Park: A visitor damaged rock art (petroglyph) that was created between 5,000-8,500 years ago. The rock art that was created by a native and featured geometric shapes. Words were carved in the area called “Birthing Panel”. Park officials quickly tried to rectify the damage but stated some of it is permanent and will not be able to be removed. This is not the first time graffiti has been an issue.
- Appalachian Trail: Garbage and food trash have been improperly discarded around the McAfee Knob on the Appalachian Trail. As a result, the bear sitings have risen and on some occasions, the bears have gotten too close for comfort. Improper disposal of trash and food can lead to serious injury or possibly death and is very dangerous to both hikers and bears.
Have News?
If you have any hiking news you’d like to share, I would love to hear it. I look forward to happy, exciting and adventurous 2022 of hiking. As always, if you have any questions or would like to chat, please leave a comment below!
Happy Hiking,
Michelle Louise
w. hikingnewbies.com
e. michellelouise@hikingnewbies.com
Hiking Newbies is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases linking to Amazon.com and affiliated links. When you use the links on this page to make a purchase, I may get a small commission. You don’t pay anything extra by purchasing through these links. It’s a win-win all around. See our Full disclosure for more info. Thank you for your support!
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