In Photos: Hiking the US’s National Trails

Old Spanish historic trail

The Old Spanish Trail has been called the most arduous and difficult trail in the US. Spanning more than 2,500 miles and with Native American roots, it was used by adventurers and opportunists bringing textiles from Santa Fe to trade for mules and horses in Los Angeles from the early 1800s. This picture shows Wilson Arch from Highway 191 in San Juan County, 24 miles south of Moab, Utah.

Nez Perce historic trail

This trail follows the route taken by a large band of the Nez Perce Native American tribe in 1877 during their attempt to flee the US Cavalry and get to Canada, to avoid being forced to live on a reservation. These remnants of a filling station were photographed outside the small town of Hays, Montana.

Lewis and Clark historic trail

Between May 1804 and September 1806, 31 men, one woman and a baby traveled from the plains of the Midwest to the Pacific north of Portland, Oregon. Calling themselves the Corps of Discovery, they opened a window into the west for the young US. The photograph shows the Columbia River and Vista House museum in Multnomah County, Oregon.

Camino Real De Tierra Adentro historic trail

In colonial times, New Mexico was linked to the world by a single route through the Rio Grande valley from north of Santa Fe, via El Paso and the old Viceroyalty of New Spain to Mexico City, some 1,200 miles to the south. It became a lifeline back to central Mexico, a principal avenue of communication, commerce, and religious conversion. This commemorative sculpture is at the base of Cerro Tome, near Albuquerque.