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Pike National Historic Trail Feasibility Study

National Trails System » Pike National Historic Trail Feasibility Study » Document List

The proposed Pike NHT represents the route taken by Lieutenant Zebulon Pike during his 1806-1807 expedition into the southern portion of the Louisiana Purchase and the northern provinces of Mexico. The route begins in Fort Bellefontaine, Missouri and ends in Natchitoches, Louisiana. It spans approximately 2,700 miles, intersecting the states of Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana, with an additional 1,000 miles of trail passing through three states in Mexico. The section of trail which traverses Mexico is not eligible for designation as it falls outside of the United States.

The Pike NHT Feasibility Study was directed by Congress in 2019 under the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (P.L. 116-9).

The purpose of the Pike NHT Feasibility Study was to evaluate the national historical significance of the route, as well as the feasibility, suitability, and desirability of designating the route as a national historic trail.

The NPS has concluded that the proposed Pike National Historic Trail failed to meet the criteria for eligibility as an NHT. The study shows that historic use of the proposed Pike National Historic Trail itself does not rise to the level of national significance; the relative lack of surviving historic resources directly related to Pike's travels and of compelling interpretive stories, limit the trail's feasibility, suitability, and desirability; and that the trail possesses limited recreational potential and historic interest based on public outreach.

The NPS held public meetings to gauge public support and concerns for national historic trail designation in Spring 2021. National Environmental Policy Act compliance has been achieved through a categorical exclusion since the study has no measurable environmental impacts. The study was completed in 2021 and transmitted to Congress in 2023 for their consideration.

The study may be found here: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=456&projectID=95651&documentID=131845

Contact Information

Jill Jensen
Project Manager for the Pike National Historic Trail Feasibility Study
National Trails Office
National Park Service
50 W. Broadway Suite 950
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
801-741-1012 extension 115
jill_jensen@nps.gov