North Country Trail

The North Country Trail (NCT, officially designated the North Country National Scenic Trail) is a long-distance hiking trail in the Midwestern and Northeastern United States. The trail extends roughly 4,800 miles (7,700 km) from Lake Sakakawea State Park in North Dakota to the Appalachian Trail in Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont, passing through eight states along its route. As of 2023, most of the trail is in place, though about one-third of the distance consists of road walking; those segments are frequently evaluated for transfer to off-road segments on nearby public or private lands.

The trail was designated a National Scenic Trail by the United States Congress in 1980, and became an official unit of the National Park System in 2023. The NCT is administered by the National Park Service, managed by federal, state, and local agencies, and built and maintained primarily by volunteers coordinated by the North Country Trail Association (NCTA) and affiliated local organizations.

The North Country Trail is generally limited to hiking, and some areas can support snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Some particular segments allow additional non-motorized uses such as bicycling and horseback riding, but only in areas specifically designed and permitted to withstand such use. The distance of the NCT is estimated and often changes, as volunteers develop new footpath segments and other options to reduce road walking.