{"id":7674,"date":"2018-08-27T04:08:27","date_gmt":"2018-08-27T11:08:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/corbamtb.com\/news\/?p=7674"},"modified":"2018-08-26T17:55:19","modified_gmt":"2018-08-27T00:55:19","slug":"gabrielino-nrt-first-in-the-nation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/corbamtb.com\/news\/2018\/08\/27\/gabrielino-nrt-first-in-the-nation\/","title":{"rendered":"Discover the Gabrielino National Recreation Trail – First in the Nation"},"content":{"rendered":"
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1970-05-20 – LA Times – Gabrielino Trail first National Recreation Trail<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the National Trails Act of 1968, we truly appreciate the vision of the legislators who understood the need to expand and coordinate a national system of outdoor recreational trail opportunities. The act was signed into law on October 2, 1968<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last week we finished the restoration of the Gabrielino National Recreation Trail in the Angeles National Forest, with help from MWBA<\/a>, REI<\/a> and<\/g> Edison<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0But did you know the Gabrielino Trail we just restored was the very first National Recreation Trail in the Nation<\/strong> to be designated under the act?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These two Los Angeles Times stories are from May 20, 1970, announcing the designation, and from June 28, 1970, celebrating the designation “to attract hikers and horsemen.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Those visionary legislators lacked the foresight to mention how many bicyclists it would also attract fifty years later!\u00a0 It would have been especially nice if their vision of the trail connecting to the proposed<\/strong> <\/em>Pacific Crest Trail became a reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1970-06-28 – LA Times reports Gabrielino National Recreation Trail designation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

During our hike with the Forest Supervisor\u00a0and other members of the\u00a0Forest Leadership Team to inspect our work on the Gabrielino last Friday, we were in an especially celebratory mood. We all given\u00a0National Trails Act 50th Anniversary patches to commemorate the restoration project and the trail.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The National Trails Act created three trail designations: National Recreation Trails, National Scenic Trails, and National Connecting and Side Trails.\u00a0National Historic Trail designation was added in a 1978 amendment.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NRTs are designated to promote recreation near urban centers, and the Gabrielino was the perfect candidate, serving up to “7 million Southern California residents within easy travel distance.”\u00a0 Today that number is now between 12 and 17 million, depending on your definition of “easy travel.”\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NSTs are longer\u00a0and more remote, usually over 200 miles, and include the PCT, the Appalachian, Continental Divide and Arizona trail, among others.\u00a0 Only a few of those are open to bicycles.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are only two designated National Side or Connecting trails, one between the Iditarod trail and Anvik, Alaska, and the Timms Hill Trail, connecting the Ice Age NST to Wisconsin’s highest peak.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Angeles National Forest is lucky to have five Nationally designated trails, some of which you may have ridden, and three of which CORBA and MWBA\u00a0 help maintain:\u00a0<\/del><\/p>\n\n\n\n