The National Historic Trails provide an interesting story of the nation′s past history. As these trails follow past routes, they show the modern traveler how those before traversed the same area, either for exploration, for migration, to avoid struggle, for trade and even for military action. The National Historic Trails also allow the modern traveler an opportunity to re-trace the past event by visiting historic sites, points of interests and other geographical features.

The National Historic Trails are designated to protect the courses of significant overland and/or water routes that reflect the history of the nation of the United States. Some of these trails represent (1.) the earliest European travels in the country in Chesapeake Bay and on Spanish royal roads; (2.) the nation′s struggle for independence on the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail and Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route; (3.) westward migrations on the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails, which traverse some of the same route; and (4.) the development of continental commerce on the Santa Fe Trail, Old Spanish Trail, and Pony Express. They also memorialize (5.) the forced displacement and hardships of the Native Americans on the Trail of Tears and Nez Perce National Historic Trail.

In depicting the above individual trails, the reason is to note that the above trails document historical journeys of notable individuals and/or groups but is not necssarily meant to be continuously or contiguously traveled today by the means of a motorized vehicle as the above trails are largely a network of partner sites along marked auto routes rather that the exact non-motorized trails as used originally.

Often, interpretative sites are found at other areas of the National Park System along the trails, as well as locally operated museums and sites. The National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Wyoming is on the Oregon, California, Mormon Pioneer, and Pony Express National Historic Trails and has exhibits on Western emigration. Nine of the National Historic Trails are administered by the NPS National Trails Office in Santa Fe as well as Salt Lake City.

The National Historic Trails were authorized under the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95–625), which amended the National Trails System Act of 1968. The current number of 21 historic trails have a combined total length of approximately 40,000 mi (64,370 km), and many of the individual trails include several branches making them much longer than their single end-to-end distance.

The National Historic Trails are currently 21 in number and are listed in the paragraphs below.

North Terminus (20.25767, -155.87707)

South Point (18.911111, -155.681111)

Southeast Terminus (19.2927033, -155.1220500)

Hawaiian Volcanos National Park

Pu‘uloa Petroglyphs

Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma

Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California

Operated: 1858 - 1861

Missouri, Kansas, Nebrasca, Colorado, Wyoming

Idaho, Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon

Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia

Klondike Gold Rush NHP

Mission Tejas,

San Antonio Missions NHP

Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois

Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota

Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington

Gateway Arch NP

Fort Clatsop, Lewis and Clark NHP

Pompeys Pillar NM

Fort Laramie NHS

Independence Rock State Historical Site, Wyoming

Devil′s Gate, Wyoming

This is the Place State Heritage Park, Utah

Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana

Nez Perce NHP

Yellowstone NP

Bighorn Battlefield NM

Grand Staircase-Escalante NM

Escalante Pueblo, Canyon of the Ancients NM

Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming,

Idaho, Oregon, Washington

Scots Bluff NM

Fort Kearny State Park, Nebraska

South Pass, Wyoming

Shoshone Falls Park

Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina

Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado

Utah, Nevada, California

Fort Larned NHS

Bent′s Old Fort NHS

Fort Union NM

Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico

Fort Larned NM

Bent′s Old Fort

Fort Union

Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia

Fort McHenry NM and Historic Schrine

Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky

Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma

Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania

Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia, Massachusetts

Old Barracks Museum, Trenton

Colonial NHP

Joseph Webb House, Wethersfield, Connecticut