If I had to guess, most of us probably take our trails for granted. And if you were like me, you probably have no idea how they came about, or simply assume they were constructed by some governmental entity at some point. The truth of the matter is that there are a wide variety of individuals and groups who’ve been responsible for the construction of our trails over the years.
Before local, state and federal agencies became heavily involved with the construction and maintenance of recreational trails in the 1930s and 40s, many of the footpaths in our national parks and forests were originally blazed by Native Americans, hunters, trappers, prospectors, pioneers, shepherds, cattlemen, and loggers. Even the U.S. Army, railroad barons, hotel owners and other local entrepreneurs built some of the hiking trails that we still use today!
Ramble On: A History of Hiking contains a chapter dedicated to the widely diverse accounts of how and why trail networks were developed in some of our oldest and most iconic national parks, as well as America’s first hiking destination - the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
With Father’s Day right around the corner, Ramble On: A History of Hiking also makes for a great gift idea!
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Virtually no one went hiking before the 19th century. What occurred that inspired ordinary people to take a walk through the woods for pleasure? Ramble On: A History of Hiking explores the rich history of hiking, and how it evolved into one of the most popular pastimes in the world.
