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See Stunning Photos of New National Park Land That Soon Will Be Accessible From America's Longest National Trail
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See Stunning Photos of New National Park Land That Soon Will Be Accessible From America's Longest National Trail

Smithsonian · Jun 11, 2026, 9:04 PM

Key takeaways

  • Sara Rubinstein / Trust for Public Land The North Country National Scenic Trail spans more than 4,800 miles from Vermont to North Dakota, making it the longest route in America’s National Trails System.
  • Now, they’re one step closer to that goal.
  • As of right now, 210 miles of the route wind their way through Wisconsin, including 145 miles of permanent, off-street trail.

Sara Rubinstein / Trust for Public Land The North Country National Scenic Trail spans more than 4,800 miles from Vermont to North Dakota, making it the longest route in America’s National Trails System. But roughly 1,500 miles of the 46-year-old route still travel along roads, rather than on permanent paths built on protected land, and that’s something trail advocates would like to change.

Now, they’re one step closer to that goal. This spring, the National Park Service acquired 213 acres of land in northern Wisconsin along the southern edge of Lake Superior, making it possible to move roughly three miles of the North Country National Scenic Trail off roads and into nature.

As of right now, 210 miles of the route wind their way through Wisconsin, including 145 miles of permanent, off-street trail.

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