Meet Rue McKenrick, an Oregon man with an ambitious plan to create a 14,000 mile trail system that would circumnavigate the entire United States (except Alaska and Hawaii).
The American Perimeter Trail would connect a network of existing, new and proposed trails. Rue McKenrick has already made the trek and it took him 3-years to complete. Rue McKenrick is dead set on making the new trail a reality and it is still very much in preliminary stages but the ground work has been laid.
Here’s a quick interview with Rue about the project:
“We support the concept of a long trail around the nation. We know what a challenge establishing and maintaining long trails can be. Ecologists are now confident that only by protecting large, connected landscapes (like the landscapes around long trails) can we ensure the future survival and sustainability of species as climate change forces many to move to new habitats…more connected and protected landscapes, we support it!” -Scott Wilkinson, Director Pacific Crest Trail Association
ABOUT THE American Perimeter Trail:
The American Perimeter Trail is a mechanism to make beautiful spaces and outdoor recreation more accessible to all while protecting land resources for future generations to enjoy. The trail is in its early stages and uses a combination of existing trails and undefined routes on its quest to secure and maintain an unbroken conservation corridor around the United States. This is a common trail development method employed by the country’s most legendary trail systems, such as the Pacific Crest, Appalachian, and Continental Divide Trails
