WASHINGTON-- The country’s 1,000th National Recreation Trail will honor one of the heroes of September 11, 2001. The Rich Guadagno Memorial Trail in Oregon will commemorate the life of the devoted U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Refuge Manager who died aboard Flight 93.
The Guadagno Trail is one of 40 newly designated National Recreation Trails announced by Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne to coincide with the annual celebration of National Trails Day on June 2. “The National Recreation Trail System connects Americans with the beauty of the great outdoors,” said Kempthorne. “It is entirely fitting that the 1000th trail be named after Rich Guadagno, a man who dedicated his life to preserving nature and sharing his passion for the land with others.”
The Guadagno Trail is located in the Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge where Guadagno once worked. The 1.75-mile pathway meanders through rare Oregon white oak savanna and woodlands, offering views of the Willamette Valley which contains the world’s largest population of the endangered Fender’s blue butterfly. The trail will be formally dedicated in a ceremony led by Deputy Secretary of the Interior Lynn Scarlett at 4 p.m. PDT on Saturday, June 2, 2007.
The new National Recreation Trails showcase the diversity of the American landscape. They range from the quarter mile Balfour Riverwalk Trail in downtown Attleboro, Mass. to the 1,500-mile long Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail, considered by some as the water version of the Appalachian Trail for its length and scenic features.
National Recreation Trails are components of the National Trails System and recognize already existing trails that connect people to resources and improve their quality of life. The program is jointly administered by the National Park Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program and the U.S. Forest Service in conjunction with other federal and nonprofit partners, notably American Trails. Each of the trails inducted into the system will receive a certificate of designation and trail markers. They join a network that contains more than 11,000 miles of trails. More information is available at http://www.nps.gov/rtca.
Following are the 40 additions to the National Trails System named by Secretary Kempthorne:
Alaska
Campbell Tract Loop Trail – Located within the Bureau of Land Management’s Campbell Tract Facility in Anchorage, this scenic 3.4-mile urban/wildland interface trail offers numerous opportunities to view Alaskan wildlife while enjoying activities such as mountain biking, hiking, snowshoeing and skijoring.
Arizona
Palm Canyon Trail – Located in the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, this 0.5-mile backcountry trail provides the opportunity to explore an area of rugged beauty and perhaps the only place in the state where native California Fan Palms can be found.
Colorado
Alamosa South Bluff Trail – Located in the Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge, this 1.1-mile greenway offers opportunities to view Sandhill cranes, eagles, and river oxbows while hiking, mountain biking, or just taking a stroll.
Clear Creek Trail – This 6.5-mile family-friendly urban trail winds through the scenic Wheat Ridge Greenbelt, providing conservation benefits and recreational opportunities including biking, kayaking and bird watching.
Monte Vista Walking Trail – Located in the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge, this 0.5-mile greenway is a bird watcher’s paradise and provides habitat for waterfowl including mallards, egrets, and approximately 21,000 Sandhill cranes that migrate biannually through the area.
Rio Grande Nature Trail – Located in the Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge, this 1.8-mile greenway offers scenic views of the Rio Grande and Mt. Blanca, as well as opportunities to see a diversity of wildlife including raptors, porcupines, and coyotes.
Florida
Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail – Stretching from Pensacola around the Florida peninsula to the Georgia border, this 1,500-mile sea kayaking paradise is considered by some as the saltwater version of the Appalachian Trail for its scenic features and connections to federal, state and local parks and preserves along the coasts of Florida.
Gayle's Trails – Located in Panama City Beach, this 4.5-mile trail system provides a natural haven in an urban setting, linking residents to a variety of recreational amenities (such as a stocked Youth Fishing Pond) and providing opportunities for rollerblading, mountain biking, and kayaking.
J.R. Alford Greenway – Part of Tallahassee’s nationally recognized park system, this 27-mile urban trail and 880-acre greenway in Leon County provides for numerous recreational activities, native habitat preservation, and environmental education.
Miccosukee Canopy Road Greenway – Also part of Tallahassee’s nationally recognized park system, this 20-mile urban trail and 503-acre greenway protects natural and historic resources and is part of a plan to connect Leon County by a trail system accessible via bicycle, horse, or on foot.
The Centennial Trail – Located at Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, this 0.75-mile accessible trail tells the story of the first national wildlife refuge and celebrates the entire Refuge System, offering visitors the chance to learn about each national wildlife refuge in the country while enjoying scenic overlooks and abundant wildlife.
Timucuan Multi-Use Trail – This 2.31-mile urban trail/bikeway in Little Island State Park is the first piece of a larger trail system which will protect and connect pristine habitat and historically-significant sites of North Florida.
Iowa
Chichaqua Valley Trail – This 20-mile rail-trail is rich in both history and scenic beauty, connecting several small towns in Jasper and Polk Counties and allowing for a variety of trail uses including biking, snowshoeing, and bird watching.
Sauk Rail Trail – This 33-mile rail-trail and greenway connects several communities, two state parks and Hazelbrush Wildlife Area, offering an assortment of midwest landscapes for bicyclists and other trail users to enjoy.
Three Rivers Trail – This 26-mile rail-trail and greenway is rich in scenic and historic resources, taking bicyclists, hikers, cross country skiers, and other trail users over 36 rehabilitated bridges as it crosses three rivers in northern Iowa.
Wabash Trace Nature Trail – Known as Iowa’s longest rail-trail, this 63-mile trail and greenway offers visitors the opportunity to experience a rich variety of flora and fauna, urban and rural communities, and activities such as hiking, biking, and camping.
Louisiana
Marc Dupuy, Jr. Wildlife Trail – Located in the Grand Cote National Wildlife Refuge, this 1-mile accessible trail traverses forested wetlands, connects to a boardwalk and elevated observation tower that allows visitors to view numerous species of waterfowl from an ideal vantage point.
Maryland
Rock Creek Trail – This 18.6-mile hiker-biker trail features two lakes and offers an alternative transportation route and quiet refuge for a number of communities in a diverse urban setting.
Massachusetts
Balfour Riverwalk Trail – This 0.25-mile urban trail and greenway is a key component of Attleboro’s downtown redevelopment plans and supports the Young Men’s Christian Association’s Activate America program by providing recreational amenities for all ages to enjoy.
Quinebaug River Canoe Trail – Designated a “Watchable Wildlife Trail,” this 5.5-mile local and regional water trail offers scenic, educational, and recreational opportunities for the residents of central Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Missouri
Prairie Creek Greenway – Recognized as one of the premier greenways in the Kansas City metro area, this 3.8-mile urban trail and greenway features a rock waterfall and restored prairie meadows, allows for a variety of recreational activities, and encourages positive economic impacts with planned connections to surrounding trail systems.
Montana
Display Pond Trail – Located in the Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge, this 0.4-mile accessible, walking trail allows visitors of all ages and abilities to experience the outdoors and view a diversity of wildlife.
Nebraska
Oak Creek Trail – Known as one of the state’s most versatile and popular recreational trails, this 13-mile rail-trail serves Omaha and Lincoln communities and provides a picturesque setting for activities including hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding.
New Jersey, Pennsylvania
Delaware River Water Trail – Middle Delaware Segment – Located within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, this 40.6-mile water trail allows visitors to enjoy a variety of activities and resources including geological formations, diverse wildlife habitats, and world-famous trout fishing.
New York
Orange Heritage Trail – This 11.5-mile rail-trail in Orange County is popular with residents and visitors alike, offering biking and bird watching opportunities amidst historic landmarks, local farms, and a wildlife sanctuary.
Wallkill Valley Rail Trail – Passing through three municipalities in the lower Hudson Valley, this 12.2-mile trail and greenway offers year-round non-motorized recreation through active farms and orchards, woodlands, wetlands, and the Huguenot Street National Historic Landmark District.
Walt Whitman Trail – Situated in one of the busiest areas of Long Island, this 8.2-mile greenway begins at the Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site and traverses the hills of the glacial Ronkonkoma Moraine, providing a quiet refuge for hikers, equestrians, and other trail users.
North Dakota
Lostwood Refuge-Prairie Hiking Trail – Located within the Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge, this 7.5-mile backcountry prairie trail provides a scenic view of rolling hills and wetlands shaped by glaciers and offers excellent bird watching opportunities.
Wetlands and Waterfowl Trail – Located in the Alice Waterfowl Production Area, this 1.25-mile trail hosts a variety of migratory birds, provides a universally accessible facility for wildlife viewing, and hunting.
North Dakota, Minnesota
Grand Forks/East Grand Forks Greenway Trail – Connecting two cities and two states, this 20-mile urban trail and greenway allows users to experience the natural beauty of the Red and Red Lake Rivers, while enjoying a variety of recreation facilities and activities such as biking, fishing, and boating.
Oklahoma
Cussetah Bottoms Boardwalk Trail – Located on Deep Fork National Wildlife Refuge, this 0.85-mile trail includes an accessible elevated boardwalk that allows visitors the opportunity to learn about bottomland hardwood habitat and observe wildlife in a safe way.
Horton Slough Trail – Located at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, this 1-mile trail provides local residents and Interstate 40 travelers a scenic rest stop for general exercise and viewing waterfowl such as snow geese.
Oregon
The Rich Guadagno Memorial Trail (formerly known as the Baskett Butte Loop Trail and Observation Platform) – Located in Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge, this 1.75-mile backcountry trail offers visitors the opportunity to view unique native habitats and wildlife of the Willamette Valley, including the world’s largest endangered Fender’s Blue Butterfly population.
Pennsylvania
Schuylkill Trail at Schuylkill Banks – Located on the east side of the Schuylkill River, this increasingly popular 1.2-mile urban trail and greenway accommodates bicyclists, runners, and in-line skaters and provides access to a section of the river that had been inaccessible for over 100 years.
Texas
Willows Trail – Located on Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, this 0.8-mile walking/wildlife observation trail meanders through a variety of natural habitats and takes visitors to “The Willows,” a popular spot for migratory birds crossing the Gulf of Mexico.
Utah
Fisher Towers Trail – Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, this 2.2-mile backcountry trail provides access to one of the most unique geological hikes in North America and allows Moab visitors to hike among the world-renown towers of the Colorado Plateau.
Wetland Wonders Walk – Located in Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, this 0.5-mile accessible trail is a nature lover’s paradise, hosting a wealth of wildlife including snowy egret, marsh wren, and long-tailed weasels.
Virginia
Fairfax County Cross County Trail –This 41-mile urban trail/rail-trail serves as the county’s primary multi-use north/south trail and allows trail users to travel through a variety of landscapes while enjoying activities such as hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding.
Virginia Capital Trail – This 8-mile urban trail and greenway is part of the planned 50-mile pedestrian and bicycle facility that will parallel the oldest inland transportation route in North America and connects Williamsburg to Richmond in a unique way.
Wisconsin
East Bank Trail – This 0.75-mile urban trail features local artwork and has provided a new way to enjoy the Milwaukee River, offering ample opportunities for wildlife viewing, hiking, biking, and kayaking.