June 1 (UPI) — Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced the designation of four new national recreation trails, extending the countrywide network of more than 1,300 existing trails.
The new trails — in Utah, Oregon, Texas and West Virginia — are jointly coordinated and administered by the National Parks Service and the U.S. Forest Service, along with other federal and nonprofit partners.
“Increased access to green spaces nurtures our mind and bodies, and helps to build stronger communities,” Haaland said in a statement. “Every American deserves to have a safe and nearby place to experience nature.”
“The National Trails System improves access to the outdoors while providing significant impacts to local economies.”
In Utah, the Hell’s Revenge Trail is a 9.7-mile off-highway vehicle trail near Moab and with the Bureau of Land Management‘s Sand Flats Recreation Area.
The new Banks-Vernonia State Trail is a 21-mile paved rail-to-trail route that connects the towns of Banks and Vernonia through the foothills of Oregon‘s coast mountain range.
The one-mile Sweet Spring Turnpike Trail in West Virginia is a multi-use gentle-grade scenic trail that moves from open pastures to dense forest.
The Comal River Water Trail in Texas winds through the heart of New Braunfels for 1.5 miles and is known as one of the best tubing rivers in the state.
The Hell’s Revenge Trail in Utah is a 9.7-mile off-highway vehicle trail near Moab and with the Bureau of Land Management’s Sand Flats Recreation area. The one-mile Sweet Spring Turnpike Trail in West Virginia is a multi-use gentle-grade scenic trail that moves from open pastures to dense forest.
“These four new national trails will build connections in communities, ensuring bikers, hikers and all who love our public lands have increased access to our outdoor recreation opportunities close to home,” Chuck Sams, the National Parks Service director, said in a statement.
