The report of the President's Commission on Americans Outdoors reported that 155
million people walk for pleasure, 93 million people bicycle, and 50 million
people hike on trails. Trails allow 43 million people to access the natural
world for study, photography, small game hunting, fishing, camping, relaxing or
solitude. Ten million people ride horses on trails, five million backpack and 11
million ski on trails.
America's trails give us places to hike, walk, run and ride,
providing a venue for having fun and staying physically fit, and providing a
quiet place away from the clutter of daily life. Trails give us an opportunity
to explore wild places and observe the earth's natural environment as it changes
from season to season.
Trails also provide routes for commuting to work, school, the
supermarket, or wherever else our daily lives take us, without the expense of
automotive transportation — or the damage motorized transportation does to the
environment.
They can stimulate economic activity by attracting tourists,
outdoor businesses and regular users. Trails can also increase real estate
values along a trail corridor. And they help bring communities together and
enhance the quality of life of people living on or near a trail.
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