WASHINGTON — Federal officials have released a new plan to connect a 1,200 mile trail from the Washington coast to Montana!
This comprehensive plan was released by the US Forest Service last month. The Pacific Northwest Trail is a long distance path that runs through Glacier National Park all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
The plan does not have any major changes on how the trail is managed, instead it outlines reroutes and land acquisition to improve access to the entire length of the trail.
The Pacific Northwest Trail is one of 11 national scenic trails that includes Appalachian and Pacific Crest trails.
It begins on the east side of Glacier National Park, near the Montana-Alberta border, then crosses the park and the Idaho Panhandle and enters Washington just east of Metaline Falls.
This end-to-end hike takes people though three national parks and four national forests! With the length of the trail, towns offer hikers a nice place to stop and refuel if needed.
The national forests and parks you will walk through include:
Flathead National ForestKootenai National ForestIdaho Panhandle National ForestsColville National ForestOkanogan-Wenatchee National ForestMt. Baker-Snoqualmie National ForestOlympic National ForestGlacier National ParkNorth Cascades National Park ComplexOlympic National Park
To read the full comprehensive plan for the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail, go to the forest service’s website.
