To walk into history is to be free at one, to be at large among people – Elizabeth Bowen
History is most often learned through reading books or listening to a teacher in a classroom. This, quite frankly, is the most boring way to engage with history. I suggest you get out and actively engage with history. This keeps you alert and your brain processing so you won’t drift away in boredom, but also allows you to more easily place yourself in history as you experience places, things, or people from the past.
So if you want to add a little something extra to your next hiking trip, consider hiking one of the trails listed below. All of these trails have historical significance that you can literally feel as you walk in the footsteps of those that lived 100s of years ago.
#1 The Lewis and Clark Expedition
Perhaps the most famous expedition in the history of the United States is the Lewis and Clark Expedition. President Thomas Jefferson completed the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, purchasing 530 million acres of American territory that ranged from what is today Louisiana to Montana from France. However, much of the area was unknown to Americans at the time who hadn’t expanded past the Mississippi River.
To fix this, Captain Meriweather Lewis and his close friend Second Lieutenant William Clark were appointed to explore the territory and report back with maps, environmental studies, trading destinations, and everything they could learn about the unknown lands. Over the course of two years, four months, and ten days – the expedition led by Lewis & Clark traversed much of the newly purchased land (and some that wasn’t) to report back to President Jefferson. Because copious notes were taken by all, much of what they saw and where they went is known today.
Wouldn’t you like to experience the discovery of America through modern eyes? Thankfully the National Park Service has created the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail which largely mimics the trail the Lewis & Clark expedition took in 1803. Starting in Pittsburgh, PA the trail winds all the way through 16 states to the Pacific Ocean in Washington. Meaning if you want to take months to do the whole trail you can, or you can do pieces that most appeal to you.
Total Miles: 4,900 Miles
States Included: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon
Significant Landmarks: Camp Dubois, Gateway Arch, Fort Mandan, Great Falls of the Missouri, Lemhi Pass, Fort Clatsop
#2 The Trail of Tears
A very dark story of American history is the decimation of native peoples by European settlers. Perhaps the worst chapter of this history was the Trail of Tears, a name given to the forcible expulsion of Cherokee peoples from their homes in the Southeastern United States into modern-day Oklahoma. Anywhere from a quarter to a third of the native populations would perish on the journey.
In 1830, President Andrew Jackson enacted the Indian Removal Act. This unconscionable law allowed Jackson the power to offer native peoples east of the Mississippi land in Oklahoma if they chose to leave. Of course, should they choose not to leave, they would be forcibly moved. White Americans wanted the rich, fertile land for their own growing cotton industry. Native Americans were often held at gunpoint to leave their homes so slaves could take their places, growing the cash crop.
While many think of the Trail of Tears as a singular trek of native people into Oklahoma, it is more of a moniker for the forcible removal of all 5 “civilized” tribes from the Southeast to west of the Mississippi. Thus, there is not one true trail that was used for the removal but many different ones that took place over several years. Today, the National Park Service has re-created several of these for the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail which encompasses a network of trails covering 9 states.
Total Miles: 5,043 Miles
States Included: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee
Significant Landmarks: New Echota, Red Clay Council Grounds, Mantle Rock, Village Creek State Park, Cherokee Heritage Center
#3 The Oregon Trail
Have you ever wanted to pretend you’re an early pioneer traversing the wild American West in search of new home and fortune? Then maybe you should experience the Oregon Trail, the most widely known path westward that Americans used from the 1840s to 1860s to move west in search of a homestead.
Beginning in Independence, Missouri, pioneers would gather into large groups to pack supplies and prepare for a months’ long trek to land they knew little about. Along the trail, they would stop at outposts with overpriced goods and suffer constant fear of attack by Natives. To make matters worse, the trail became more treacherous the further westward they traveled. While they started in the relatively flat prairies of Kansas they would eventually cross the Rocky and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges. The courage and determination displayed by everyday Americans to complete the trail in search of a better life has become synonymous with the American identity.
Today, you can still travel the Oregon National Historic Trail just like the pioneers did over 150 years ago. Spanning over 7 states and starting in Independence, Missouri, there are several outposts still along the way that you can stop at for real immersion into the old world.
Total Miles: 2,170 Miles
States Included: Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon
Significant Landmarks: Chimney Rock, Scotts Bluff, Fort Laramie, South Pass, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon City
#4 Selma to Montgomery
The march from Selma to Montgomery is unique in this list because it was a march for protest on paved streets rather than an excursion or exploration through American wilderness. In the 1960s, activists for African American rights had forced their way into American discourse. Ever since the end of the civil war, blacks had suffered under Jim Crow laws and other forms of discrimination, particularly in the American South.
Led by visionaries such as Martin Luther King Jr, peaceful protests cropped up throughout the south. This included 3 protest marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, the state capitol. Specifically, the protests were demonstrations of the African American’s right to vote. Which, while protected by the 15th amendment, was being impeded by Jim Crow era laws in much of the American South.
Despite the protest being a peaceful march, overeager state authorities and racist citizen posses attacked the peaceful protestors. Deemed “Bloody Sunday”, the first of the marches ended with one of the organizers beaten unconscious. The night of the second march, an anti-civil rights group murdered another. The violence took the news by storm and encouraged President Lyndon Johnson to enact the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which permanently outlawed all infringements on voting practices.
To commemorate the marches, Congress established the Selma to Montgomery March Historic Trail in 1996. This allows anyone to truly walk in the shoes of Martin Luther King Jr. and so many other nameless activists who forever changed history for the better. It’s well worth a trip to Alabama, if you’re ever allowed the chance.
Total Miles: 54 Miles
States Included: Alabama
Significant Landmarks: Edmund Pettus Bridge, Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church, Lowndes Interpretive Center, Alabama State Capitol
#5 Discover America like Captain John Smith
For the east coasters, trails which focus on American discovery are rare. The West is still newly being traversed, with only 150 years of history of European settlement. But the east coast has a history over 400 years old since European settlers first began colonizing it’s beaches. This has caused much of the historic trails to be lost to industrialization and bad memory.
But one that does date back to the early 1600s is the Captain John Smith Chesapeake Historic Trail. The real John Smith did not actually fall in love with Pocahontas as depicted in the well-known Disney movie, but was an early English explorer that found much of Virginia. In 1608, he embarked on two exploratory voyages around the Chesapeake Bay. He encountered many different tribes of Native Americans and reported back to the colonies, paving way for the knowledge we have today of early Native American culture.
Today, you can travel around the Chesapeake just like John Smith and the first European settlers who founded America. While learning about Smith is interesting in itself, the real history here is in the different tribes that lived throughout this trail for thousands of years. Experiencing each of the areas and imagining them long ago is the real interest here in the trail that crosses over 5 states and through Washington D.C. You will need a boat for parts, but can hike as well.
Total Miles: 3,000 Miles (water)
States Included: Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Washington D.C., and small parts of Pennsylvania and New York (Chesapeake watershed)
Significant Landmarks: Jamestown, Historic St. Mary’s City, Werowocomoco, Susquehanna River