Nature Trails and Mixed Routes - Tourism and Trails: Cultural, Ecological and Management Issues - page 76

Case Study: Great Walks, New Zealand ( Continued )
standard tracks), bridges at key river crossings, pit toilets and signs that
are designed primarily for safety. At the other end of the scale, as part of
the Nature of New Zealand Programme, there are a number of long-
distance, multi-day drive trails that focus on various aspects of New
Zealand's natural environment. Some of them can take up to 14 days to
complete, focusing on the country's marine science, flora, fauna, geology
and natural landscape (Hall et al. , 1993).
Case Study: The Appalachian Trail (Long Distance)
At a length of some 3500 km, the Appalachian Trail (AT) (officially the
Appalachian National Scenic Trail) is one of the longest contiguous wil-
derness hiking trails in the world. Together with the Pacific Crest Trail
and the Continental Divide Trail, the three are sometimes described as
the 'triple crown' of long-distance trekking in the USA. Although it runs
through villages and towns, passes over a number of highways and rail-
road bridges, and embraces several cultural sites, its primary focus is
nature, and it is treated in this topic as a wilderness trail. The AT is a
marked and signposted hiking footpath in the eastern US, running
through Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia,
Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut,
Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine with the mid-
point at Harper's Ferry, West Virginia (Figure 3.6).
Figure 3.6 A visitor center on the Appalachian Trail at Harper's Ferry