DAY 3 (December 15) - The New England National Scenic Trail (NET) runs the full height of Massachusetts and Connecticut, for 215 miles. The trail is a mix of public and private lands. Some sections are on roadways. I stopped in the Merimere Reservoir and the Bradley Hubbard Reservoir sections, south of Hartford for a couple of short hikes. The trail while in CT has blue tags (white is in MA). Someday I will walk on segments in MA.
Now I am done with the year-long Quest, as long as Congress, Mr. Biden, or the NPS do not add any new parks in the next 15 days.
DAY 2 (December 10) - An 8-hour drive had me in Janesville, WI, to walk on the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. This Wisconsin-only trail was added to the National Trails System in 1980. The length is 1,100 miles… just look at the one sign. The S. Jackson St. walking bridge crosses the Rock River. This is one of the “urban” sections of the trail. Quite interesting to be in the middle of a city and following sidewalks to stay on the path (little yellow arrows on brown background). Other sections are just for hiking and biking.
DAY 1 (December 9) - The North Country National Scenic Trail is 4,800 miles long, the longest NPS trail in the country. One must go from Vermont to North Dakota, through eight states. Eventually, it will connect the Lewis and Clark Trail in the west to the AT in the east. The trail was added to the National Trails System in 1980 but is now moved out of the category and into the National Park listing. Many segments of the trail go through villages and cities. I walked the trail in Zoar, Ohio. The Zoar Iron Bridge crosses the Tuscarawas River. The Zoar Hotel is located on Main Street, which is on the trail. Zoar was founded in 1817 by German immigrants. They were pacifists, which caused an issue during the Civil War.
