The Eastern Continental Trail (ECT) is a network of
hiking trails
A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. The ...
in the United States and Canada, reaching from
Key West, Florida
Key West ( es, Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Sigsbee Park, Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Isla ...
to
Belle Isle, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Description
The hiking distance of the ECT is approximately , not including water gaps around Newfoundland. The trail system was named by long-distance hiker M. J. Eberhart (trail name:
Nimblewill Nomad
Meredith J. Eberhart, widely known by his nickname Nimblewill Nomad, is an American perpetual hiker and has been the focus of various news stories. As of November 2021, he is considered the oldest person, at 83 years old, to have completely hiked ...
). The first person to complete the ECT from Key West to
Cap Gaspé, Quebec, was John Brinda in 1997.
From south to north, the route strings together the
Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail
The Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail is a paved rail trail—a multi-use bicycle and pedestrian facility—being constructed between Key Largo and Key West in the Florida Keys. , of the trail has been constructed.
History and route
Using ...
(a
rail trail
A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetcar ...
that is partially complete as of early 2022), the
Florida Trail
The Florida Trail is one of eleven National Scenic Trails in the United States. It currently runs , from Big Cypress National Preserve (between Miami and Naples, Florida along the Tamiami Trail) to Fort Pickens at Gulf Islands National Seashore, ...
, a road walk through southern Alabama, the
Pinhoti National Recreation Trail
The Pinhoti Trail is a Southern Appalachian Mountains long-distance trail, in length, located in the United States within the states of Alabama and Georgia. The trail's southern terminus is on Flagg Mountain, near Weogufka, Alabama, the southern ...
, and part of the
Benton MacKaye Trail
The Benton MacKaye Trail or BMT is a footpath nearly in length in the Appalachian Mountains in the southeastern United States and is blazed by a white diamond, 5″ across by 7″ tall. The hiking trail was created and is maintained by the Ben ...
, to reach the southern terminus of the
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian Trail (also called the A.T.), is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian Tr ...
at
Springer Mountain
Springer Mountain is a mountain located in the Chattahoochee National Forest on the border of Fannin and Gilmer counties. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains in northern Georgia, the mountain has an elevation of about . Springer Mountain serves ...
, Georgia. The ECT includes the entire Appalachian Trail to
Mount Katahdin
Mount Katahdin ( ) is the highest mountain in the U.S. state of Maine at . Named Katahdin, which means "Great Mountain", by the Penobscot Native Americans, it is within Northeast Piscataquis, Piscataquis County, and is the centerpiece of Baxte ...
, Maine, then continues on the
International Appalachian Trail
The International Appalachian Trail (IAT; french: Sentier international des Appalaches, SIA) was originally a hiking trail which ran from Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, in Maine, through New Brunswick, to the Gaspé Peninsula of Q ...
through Maine, New Brunswick, and Quebec. The hiking trail ends at the
Gulf of St. Lawrence
The Gulf of St. Lawrence () is the outlet of the North American Great Lakes via the St. Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean. The gulf is a semi-enclosed sea, covering an area of about and containing about of water, at an average depth of .
...
; the hiker can then travel to Newfoundland by other means and complete the next section of the ECT across that island. After another water gap, the ECT reaches its symbolic end at
Belle Isle off the northern end of Newfoundland's
Great Northern Peninsula
The Great Northern Peninsula (Inuttitut: ''Ikkarumiklua'') is the largest and longest peninsula of Newfoundland, Canada, approximately 270 km long and 90 km wide at its widest point and encompassing an area of 17,483 km2. It is de ...
.
Components
From south to north, these are the established trails that have been incorporated into the ECT:
*
Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail
The Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail is a paved rail trail—a multi-use bicycle and pedestrian facility—being constructed between Key Largo and Key West in the Florida Keys. , of the trail has been constructed.
History and route
Using ...
(under development)
*
Florida Trail
The Florida Trail is one of eleven National Scenic Trails in the United States. It currently runs , from Big Cypress National Preserve (between Miami and Naples, Florida along the Tamiami Trail) to Fort Pickens at Gulf Islands National Seashore, ...
*
Pinhoti Trail
*
Benton MacKaye Trail
The Benton MacKaye Trail or BMT is a footpath nearly in length in the Appalachian Mountains in the southeastern United States and is blazed by a white diamond, 5″ across by 7″ tall. The hiking trail was created and is maintained by the Ben ...
*
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian Trail (also called the A.T.), is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian Tr ...
*
International Appalachian Trail
The International Appalachian Trail (IAT; french: Sentier international des Appalaches, SIA) was originally a hiking trail which ran from Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, in Maine, through New Brunswick, to the Gaspé Peninsula of Q ...
References
{{Coord missing, Newfoundland and Labrador
Hiking trails in Alabama
Hiking trails in Connecticut
Hiking trails in Florida
Hiking trails in Georgia (U.S. state)
Hiking trails in Maine
Hiking trails in Maryland
Hiking trails in Massachusetts
Hiking trails in New Hampshire
Hiking trails in New Jersey
Hiking trails in New York (state)
Hiking trails in Newfoundland and Labrador
Hiking trails in North Carolina
Hiking trails in Pennsylvania
Hiking trails in Tennessee
Hiking trails in Vermont
Hiking trails in Virginia
Hiking trails in West Virginia
Long-distance trails in the United States