LOWELL, Mich. — The North Country National Scenic Trail is now an official unit of the National Park Service, giving access to additional resources and funding opportunities. It also provides equal legal standing with the other trails and parks that the National Park Service administers.
The North Country Trail is the longest of the 11 National Scenic Trails in the United States, stretching 4,800 miles from North Dakota to Vermont. Six of these 11 trails are administered by the National Park Service but at the time of their official National Scenic Trail designation, only the Appalachian Trail, Natchez Trace Trail and Potomac Heritage Trail were identified as units.
Unit status was missing for the North Country Trail, Ice Age Trail and New England Trail. This means they were not recognized as units of the National Park Service.
