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About Us:
The National Trails Office
Regions 6, 7, & 8
(NTIR)
Ever since the pre-contact period, long-distance trails within the present-day United States have fostered exploration, migration, trade, warfare, and the exchange of ideas and other cultural elements. Americans have long been aware of the importance of these historic trails in the nation’s evolution and growth, and since the 1960s Congress has recognized the importance of preserving, interpreting, and developing a representative number of these trails.
Today, under the legislative umbrella of the National Trails System Act (NTSA), the United States boasts a diverse assemblage of nationally recognized trails located in all 50 states; these include not only 20 national historic trails (NHTs) but 11 national scenic trails (NSTs), approximately 1,300 national recreation trails (NRTs), and six connecting or side trails.
Of the 20 NHTs, 16 are administered solely by the National Park Service (NPS), while two others are jointly administered by the NPS and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). In addition, one is administered solely by the BLM, and another is administered solely by the USDA Forest Service.
The NPS’s National Trails Office Regions 6, 7, and 8 (NTIR), with offices located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and both Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico, helps administer ten NHTs, along with the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program.
Learn More
The Heritage of America's Trails, the administrative history of how agencies have administered these nine NHTs over the years, along with national context information pertaining to the administration of these trails.
Contact Us
Use our office contact email for publication requests, general questions, NPS passport program requests, and to find out who to contact at NTIR directly for more assistance.
Administered National Historic Trails
Last updated: December 12, 2024