In Photos: Hiking the US’s National Trails

California historic trail

This trail traces the routes gold seekers (known as 49ers) followed to California after the discovery of gold in late 1848 at Sutter’s Mill. It starts in a variety of places on the western bank of the Missouri and merges with earlier Oregon and Mormon pioneer routes in Nebraska. On the far side of the continental divide at South Pass, the trail braids as the 49ers raced west on the best routes they could find. The Twin Sisters rock formation in Idaho’s City of Rocks national reserve is pictured in an afternoon storm.

Arizona scenic trail

This route runs for more than 800 miles from the Mexican border to Utah, connecting deserts, mountains, canyons, wilderness, history and communities. This pictures shows the trail winding among saguaro cactuses in Colossal Cave park, Arizona.

Potomac heritage scenic trail

Spanning parts of the mid-Atlantic and upper south-eastern regions, this network of routes has numerous side trails and alternatives in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia. It includes 710 miles of existing and planned sections, tracing natural, historic and cultural features. This sunrise picture shows Antietam Battlefield, Maryland, where an 1862 civil war battle saw 23,000 soldiers killed, wounded or reported missing.

Trail of Tears historic trail

These 5,000 miles of land and water routes over nine states commemorate the Cherokee nation being forced to give up its lands east of the Mississippi and migrate to present-day Oklahoma in 1838-9, as part of Andrew Jackson’s Indian removal policy. The migrants faced hunger, disease and exhaustion, and more than 4,000 of the 15,000 Cherokees died. This autumnal shot was taken in Trail of Tears state park, eastern Missouri.

Washington-Rochambeau historic trail

This is a 680-mile-long route used by revolutionary forces under the command of George Washington and French forces under the command of Jean-Baptiste de Rochambeau during their 1781 march from Newport, Rhode Island, to Yorktown, Virginia. Here Bart Smith is pictured on completion of the walk at Yorktown in 2016, with re-enactors performing a cannon demonstration.