U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock has introduced legislation along with Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina to launch a feasibility study aimed at designating the Benton MacKaye Trail as a National Scenic Trail.
The Benton MacKaye Trail, named in honor of a 20th century forester and conservationist, runs for 280 miles from Springer Mountain in the North Georgia mountains into Tennessee and North Carolina. It is considered a sister trail to southern portions of the better known Appalachian Trail.
The trail has been protected and maintained by a volunteer association since 1980. Completion of the proposed feasibility study would allow Congress to add it to the National Trails System.
