Remember that classic TV show where the pregnant wife has gone into sudden labor and the husband gets pulled over for speeding while trying to reach the hospital but then the quick-thinking police officer provides an escort with sirens blazing for the expectant couple? Perhaps cliche, but fifty years ago today, that scene played out for my parents and I narrowly avoided charging into this world on the city streets thanks to the NYPD.
October of 1968 was also a fruitful month for our public lands. On October 2nd of that year, the National Trails System Act and the Wild and Scenic River Act were both signed into law.
The National Trails System Act initially designated two national scenic trails, the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail, and made provisions to study 14 other trails for inclusion. The Act was later amended to include historic trails and rail trails. Today there are thousands of miles of national trails including 11 National Scenic Trails and 19 National Historic Trails. The trails are managed by five different government agencies and more information can be found on the Partnership for the National Trails System Website.
The National Wild and Scenic River Act initially designated eight rivers and today protects over 150 rivers. These are managed by four government agencies and more information can be found on the National Rivers Website. To see my previous post on the Middle Delaware click here (posts on the Rogue and Flathead National Rivers are coming soon.)
Redwood National Park was also designated on October 2nd, 1968. To see my post on that park, click here.
Other park sites (which I have yet to visit) and are turning 50 in October include:
- Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, Washington.
- North Cascades National Park, Washington.
- Ross Lake National Recreation Area, Washington.
- Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site, North Carolina.
- Biscayne National Monument, Florida. (Re-designated Biscayne National Park in 1980)
Found this video clip I must have accidentally taken on my waterproof camera while kayaking down the Smith River: