Nature Within Arm’s Reach
Experience the natural world of the Americas. Drive, bike, paddle, or simply breathe-in the outdoors. Take time to linger in small communities and stay in family-owned lodges. Many of these world-class routes and attractions are just around the corner. Choose one of our theme-based trails, build your own itinerary from our extensive database of first rate sites, or suggest a special experience for other visitors to try.
Great American Trails links states, regions, and nations into one harmonious system of nature trails. Our focus? All of nature – from northern lights to Northern Shrikes, and from dragonflies to fossils. The best way to fathom the scale of the natural world is to bind all the Trails together in one elegant web – here. Our audience? Nature tourists and wildlife viewers – the fastest growing group of recreationists.
Authentic experiences
The sites featured on Great American Trails focus on the natural and cultural heritage of a place–no theme parks, IMAX theaters, or zoos with exotic animals. We guide visitors only to sites that are managed with an environmental and social ethic including adopting wildlife viewing standards, hiring local people, and returning dollars to conservation. And we make sure that the sites we select offer the chance for an intimate, rewarding experience with nature. Through participation in Great American Trails, sites that still need viewing enhancements, interpretation, or restoration will gain access to the resources needed to achieve these goals.
Great American Trails is a project of Fermata, the premier nature tourism consulting company in North America. Our goal is to create THE great American nature trail by linking selected birding and wildlife trails, visitor centers, scenic byways, cultural trails, and more. Simultaneously, we build partnerships with leading conservation, education, and recreation agencies and organizations such as the US Forest Service and American Bird Conservancy.
Learn more about Great American Trails