The North Country Trail (NCT, officially named the North Country National Scenic Trail) is a long hiking trail in the Midwestern and Northeastern United States. The trail stretches about 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. It passes through eight states along its route. As of 2023, most of the trail is completed, but about one-third of the trail is on roads. These road sections are often checked to see if they can be moved to off-road paths on nearby public or private lands.

The trail was named a National Scenic Trail by the United States Congress in 1980 and became part of the National Park System in 2023. The NCT is managed by the National Park Service, with help from federal, state, and local agencies. Most of the trail is built and maintained by volunteers, who are organized by the North Country Trail Association (NCTA) and local groups.

The North Country Trail is mainly for hiking. In some areas, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are also allowed. Certain sections permit other non-motorized activities, such as bicycling and horseback riding, but only in areas designed and approved for these uses. The total length of the NCT is estimated and can change as volunteers create new trail paths and reduce the amount of road walking.

History

The North Country Trail was proposed on March 5, 1980, through an amendment to the National Trails System Act. That same year, a route was created that combined many existing trails with plans to build new connecting sections or use walkable paths on rural roads. Working with local and state hiking groups, the North Country Trail’s route was combined with all 310 miles (499 km) of the Superior Hiking Trail in Minnesota, about 900 miles (1,400 km) of the Buckeye Trail in Ohio, and about 430 miles (690 km) of the Finger Lakes Trail in New York State. The North Country Trail also included parts of many shorter hiking trails and rail trails. In most cases, hikers follow signs that show both the North Country Trail and the original trail.

Planning and building of additional off-road sections continue today. The original plan for the North Country Trail was to extend from central North Dakota to northeastern New York State. A long-term goal to extend the trail’s eastern end to the Appalachian Trail in Vermont began in 2017. This extension was approved by Congress in 2019 as part of the omnibus John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, and the extension was completed in 2021. In 2023, the National Park Service recognized the trail as a unit of the National Park System.

Route

The North Country Trail (NCT) is described here from west to east. Over its entire length, the NCT passes through more than 150 public land areas, including parks, forests, scenic places, wildlife refuges, game areas, and historic sites. At the federal level, the trail goes through ten National Forests, four units of the National Park system, and two National Wildlife Refuges. The trail also visits many state parks, forests, gamelands, and historic areas, as well as several local or county forests and parks.

The NCT travels about 453 miles (729 km) in North Dakota. It begins at Lake Sakakawea State Park in Mercer County and moves generally east, reaching Audubon National Wildlife Refuge soon after. The trail follows most of the 73-mile-long (117 km) McClusky Canal and passes through Lone Tree Wildlife Management Area (North Dakota’s largest). It also goes through Sheyenne Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Fort Ransom State Park, and Sheyenne National Grassland. Near Abercrombie, the NCT uses a state highway to cross the Red River into Minnesota.

In Minnesota, the NCT travels about 869 miles (1,399 km), including 310 miles (499 km) that overlap with the Superior Hiking Trail. Much of the trail in western Minnesota follows rural roads, with a long stretch through Fergus Falls. After that city, the trail passes many small lakes and goes through Maplewood State Park. Northeast of Frazee, the trail travels more than 160 miles (257 km) through a series of connected public lands that include state and federal parks, forests, and wildlife refuges. Key stops include Wannigan Park in Frazee, Hubbell Pond Wildlife Management Area, Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge, Greenwater Lake Scientific Natural Area, White Earth State Forest, Itasca State Park, Paul Bunyan State Forest, and Chippewa National Forest.

The NCT travels through Cohasset and Grand Rapids, and also visits Hibbing and Virginia as it temporarily follows the Mesabi Trail in northeastern Minnesota. It also passes through Tower and Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park before reaching Ely. The trail continues on the Kekekabic and Border Route Trails for about 100 miles (160 km) in Superior National Forest and parts of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, just south of the Canadian border, until it meets the Superior Hiking Trail (SHT). The NCT joins the SHT for the next 310 miles, heading southwest through more of Superior National Forest and six Minnesota state parks near Lake Superior. The trail travels through Duluth and its suburbs, then goes through Jay Cooke State Park to the Wisconsin border.

In Wisconsin, the NCT travels about 215 miles (346 km). Shortly after leaving Minnesota, the trail briefly crosses back into Wisconsin for about two miles (3.2 km) before staying in the state. It passes through several locally protected wetland and forest areas, goes through Pattison State Park, and then Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway. Later, the trail travels through wilderness paths in Brule River State Forest, which continues through Chequamegon–Nicolet National Forest, including stops in Rainbow Lake Wilderness and Porcupine Lake Wilderness. Near the Michigan border, the NCT briefly reaches Lake Superior at Saxon Harbor County Park, then follows a rural road to cross the Montreal River at the state line.

In Michigan, the NCT travels about 1,176 miles (1,893 km) and passes through both the Upper and Lower Peninsulas. After crossing the Montreal River from Wisconsin, the trail reaches Ottawa National Forest and follows the Black River for a long stretch. It briefly touches Lake Superior at Black River Harbor Recreation Area, then returns to the lake near Manabezho Falls. The trail moves inland through remote national forest lands for more than 150 miles (240 km), passing Lake of the Clouds. After leaving the national forest, the NCT goes through locally protected forest areas and travels through Craig Lake State Park.

The trail passes through Marquette and reaches Laughing Whitefish Falls State Park. It then travels about 23 miles (37 km) through Hiawatha National Forest, goes through Munising, and follows the shore of Lake Superior for more than 30 miles (48 km) through Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The trail continues through Grand Marais and walks alongside Lake Superior for about 20 miles (32 km) through local forest areas. The NCT reaches Tahquamenon Falls State Park, then enters another part of Hiawatha National Forest and continues along the lakeshore. The trail stays in the national forest for more than 80 miles (130 km), heading south near Lake Michigan and walking along Brevoort Lake. It passes through St. Ignace and Straits State Park, then crosses the Mackinac Bridge (I-75) for a five-mile (8.0 km) walk across the Straits of Mackinac to the Lower Peninsula. This crossing is only allowed during the annual Mackinac Bridge Walk.

After the bridge, the NCT goes through Mackinaw City and continues through Wilderness State Park and local forest areas. It reaches Lake Michigan at Petoskey State Park and travels through the city of Petoskey. The trail moves south through protected forests and passes through Kalkaska. The NCT then travels about 130 miles (210 km) through the Manistee section of the Huron-Manistee National Forests, reaching Cedar Springs, where it joins the White Pine Trail for about eight miles (13 km) to Rockford. The trail continues through Lowell and Middleville, where it joins the Paul Henry Trail for about three miles (4.8 km). The NCT goes through Yankee Springs State Recreation Area, then Augusta and Fort Custer State Recreation Area, and heads east through Battle Creek, following parklands along the Kalamazoo River for more than five miles (8.0 km). The trail passes through several small towns in Hillsdale County, briefly follows a farm road near Waldron, and crosses into Ohio.

In Ohio, the NCT travels about 1,076 miles (1,732 km), with about 90% of that distance overlapping with the Buckeye Trail, which forms a large loop across the state. After entering Ohio, the trail passes through Albion and West Unity, then temporarily joins parts of the Wabash Cannonball Trail in Wauseon, Whitehouse, and Waterville. At Waterville, the NCT joins the Buckeye Trail, and the two trails share the same path for more than 900 miles (1,400 km). The combined trail loosely

Trail towns

The North Country Trail Association helps manage several "trail towns" along the NCT route. These towns are places where local businesses and leaders work to offer support to hikers traveling long distances. From west to east, the towns include:

Along the long section of the NCT that goes along with the Buckeye Trail in Ohio, the Buckeye Trail Association also manages more trail towns that provide services for hikers. Dayton and Zoar are managed by both groups. From west to east, the additional Buckeye Trail towns include:

Major intersections

Western starting point: Lake Sakakawea State Park, North Dakota

• US 83 in Coleharbor
• US 52 near Harvey
• US 281 in New Rockford
• I-94 / US 52 in Valley City
• I-29 / US 81 near Abercrombie

• US 75 in Kent
• I-94 / US 59 / US 52 near Elizabeth
• US 10 near Frazee
• US 71 in Itasca State Park
• US 2 / US 169 in Grand Rapids
• US 169 multiple times in the area northeast of Grand Rapids
• US 53 in Virginia
• US 53 in Duluth
• I-35 / US 2 in Duluth

• US 53 in Solon Springs
• US 2 in Iron County

• US 41 in Baraga County
• I-75 at the Mackinac Bridge
• Petoskey
• US 131 near Fife Lake
• US 131 in Wexford County
• Lake County
• Near Cedar Springs
• I-96 in Kent County
• I-94 near Battle Creek
• Jonesville

• US 20 in Williams County
• I-80 / I-90 (Ohio Turnpike) in Williams County
• US 127 in West Unity
• US 24 near Waterville
• US 6 near Napoleon
• US 224 in Ottoville
• US 30 in Delphos
• US 33 in St. Marys
• I-75 near Piqua
• I-70 in Vandalia
• I-75 twice in Dayton
• US 68 in Yellow Springs
• US 35 in Xenia
• US 42 in Spring Valley
• I-71 near Fort Ancient
• I-275 near Branch Hill
• US 50 in Milford
• I-275 near South Milford
• I-77 in Macksburg
• I-70 near Old Washington
• US 22 in Salt Fork State Park
• US 22 twice near Piedmont Reservoir
• US 30 multiple times in Columbiana County

• I-76 (Pennsylvania Turnpike) in Lawrence County
• I-376 in Lawrence County
• US 19 in Butler County
• I-79 in Butler County
• US 422 in Moraine State Park
• I-80 in Emlenton
• US 322 multiple times in Clarion County
• US 6 near Ludlow

• I-86 in Shongo
• I-86 near Almond Lake
• I-81 near Messengervile
• US 20 in Cazenovia
• I-90 (New York State Thruway) near Oneida
• I-87 near Schroon Lake

• US 7 multiple times in Middlebury

Eastern ending point: Appalachian Trail / Long Trail meeting point near Maine Junction, Vermont