National Millennium Trails are 17 short- and
long-distance trails selected from 58 nominees as visionary trails that reflect defining aspects of America's history and culture. The trails were chosen on June 26, 1999, by the
White House Millennium Council and announced by U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater at the second international Trails and Greenways Conference in Pittsburgh, PA.[1]
Underground Railroad – various routes through the eastern United States, Texas, Oklahoma, southern Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean representing the
Underground Railroad escape routes for people held in
slavery prior to the
American Civil War.
Civil War Discovery Trail – 500 sites in 27 states – honors the sacrifices and hardships of the American Civil War.
Through the Millennium Trails project, we are building and maintaining trails that tell the story of our nation's past and will help to create a positive vision for our future. The 16 National Millennium Trails that [the Secretary of Transportation] designated today are all visionary projects that define us as Americans.