Twenty-two new National Recreational Trails in 13 states were announced May 28, 2009, by the Dept. of Interior. The trails cover more than 525 miles, and range from a 0.5-mile land trail to a 184-mile canal trail. The trails are in AL, CA, IL, IN, KS, MA, NE, NJ, NY, PA, TX, VA, and WI.

These add to the 1,050 existing National Trails that stretch for more than 12,500 miles, and provide a good opportunity to cover outdoor recreation topics as the summer begins.

For more information, see the DOI press release:

• "Secretary Salazar Announces Designation of 22 New National Recreation Trails in 13 States." [2]
• National Recreation Trails system. [3]
• National Trails System. [4]