Let’s do the motion math. The Declaration will have to travel more than 5,000 miles to get from the Pacific to the Atlantic. Divide that distance by 120 days, and you get . . . 41.67 miles per day. That checks out. The relayers aim for an average of 42 miles per day.
Participation is free. Some folks will walk. Some will run. Some will ride horses. Some will use wheelchairs. Moms and dads might even push strollers. Now that’s a photo for the baby book!
The trail includes a northern route—about 4,844 miles. It also includes a southern route—about 5,008 miles. The two pass somewhat parallel to one another in the middle part of the country. During the relay, teams will travel both routes, meeting up again near Cincinnati, Ohio.
Hop onto the trail anywhere, and you can explore local areas. But you can also go far. People call the ADT America’s only coast-to-coast non-motorized trail. It connects the two oceans with trails, roads, and pathways. It’s also one of the longest trails in the world.
The Planet’s Longest Trails
10. The English Coastal Path in the United Kingdom runs 2,795 miles. You could hike this trail in about five months.
9. The Hokkaido Nature Trail in Japan covers 2,848 miles—also about a five-month distance.
8. The Continental Divide in the United States stretches across 3,100 miles. You could cover that distance in about six months.
7. The Sentiero Italia in Italy covers 3,831 miles, an eight-month hike.
6. The Great Western Trail, also in the United States, is an old cattle trail spanning 4,455 miles from Canada to Mexico. It would take about nine months to cover the entire thing.
5. The North Country Trail crosses the United States from Vermont to North Dakota. Also a nine-month trip, 4,600 miles.
4. The Eastern Continental Trail crosses 5,400 miles in the United States. You could hike it—from Florida to Canada—in a year.
3. The American Discovery Trail, United States, totals 6,800 miles from coast to coast, with both its northern and southern trails included. The entire trail takes about a year if you’re going solo.
2. The Great Western Loop, United States, 6,875 miles. This trail links five other long trails in the American West. The whole thing takes about a year to hike.
1. The Great Trail of Canada connects 16,777 miles of trails across Canada. Most Canadians live within 30 minutes of the Great Trail. You could hike the whole thing in a little over two years.
