Thinking about taking a hike this summer? Consider the North Country National Scenic Trail. It offers hundreds of miles of hiking opportunities and dozens of cultural stops, too.

But don't expect to hike it end to end just yet. The North Country Trail is a work in progress. Just over 50 percent of the trail--about 1,800 miles--is ready for hikers. Once complete, it will cover over 4,000 miles, making it the longest continuous hiking trail in the entire United States!

The trail stretches from Lake Sakaakawea in western North Dakota to Crown Point on the western shore of Lake Champlain in New York. The route passes through five northern states in between--Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

It passes through private land and many public land units, including national forests, wildlife refuges, state parks, and four national parks: Michigan's Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Wisconsin's St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, Ohio's Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, and New York's Fort Stanwix National Monument.

The North Country Trail was authorized by Congress in 1980 and is one of eight National Scenic Trails in the National Park system. The trail is managed by the National Park Service and the North Country Trail Association. But most of the trail maintenance is done by volunteers, organized by the work of the North Country Trail Association.

So get out there and take a hike! Or just take a walk in the park. Whether you want a remote wilderness adventure, or an amble down a country path, the North Country Scenic Trail offers those options and more.

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