April 1980 through May 1981 San Francisco, California to Cape Henlopen, Delaware
HikaNation was a 14-month cross-country backpacking trip starting at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California on April 12, 1980, and ending at Cape Henlopen, Delaware on May 27, 1981 after traversing over 4,286 miles and passing through 14 states and Washington, D.C.
Purposes for the hike included highlighting the need for more hiking trails across America and promoting hiking as a low energy consumption form of recreation.
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HikaNation by the Mississippi January 15th, 1981 |
HikaNation was organized by Jim Kern, William Kemsley, Jr., Paul Pritchard, Glenn Seaborg, and others, and was sponsored by the American Hiking Society, the
United States Department of the Interior Heritage Conservation and Recreation
Service, and Postum, along with various other suppliers & supporters, including Backpacker magazine.
The Progression of HikaNation details the journey with various organizational memos, letters, newspaper and magazine articles. |
While each state had a HikaNation coordinator who planned the route and some activities through the state, Monty Montgomery (Lt. Col., USAF, Retired) was the HikaNation "on-site" Hike Coordinator. Monty drove his van and Airstream trailer parallel to the HikaNation route and provided numerous functions, including, but not limited to: coordinating with state planners, advance scouting/altering of planned route, meeting with locals & dignitaries & media, providing water/food/aid in desolate areas, transporting hikers to and from the hike, providing resupply trips to nearby towns, etc. Without Monty, Jim Kern and the state coordinators, HikaNation would not have succeeded. Upcoming EventsRecent AdditionsFact SheetsDaily CampsitesSearch HikaNation
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Photos & Commentary by William Ewart
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1981 Thanksgiving Gathering Dallas, Texas |
May 1982 Reunion photos White Rock Mountain, Arkansas |
May 1983 Reunion Information Monticello, Utah |
August 1984 Reunion Information Strawberry, California |
October 1986 Reunion photos Front Royal, Virginia |
August 1990 BBQ & Mini-Reunion photos Doug Marshall's House, Michigan |
May 1991 Reunion photos Cape Henlopen, Delaware |
May 2000 Reunion photos Cumberland Falls, Kentucky |
May 2011 Reunion photos & Jeopardy Mt. Magazine State Park, Arkansas |
August 2013 BBQ & Mini-Reunion photos Doug Marshall's House, Michigan |
September 2015 Reunion photos & videos Marys Lake, Estes Park, Colorado |
September 2015 Pre-Reunion Hike photos Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
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All Things 35th -- 2015 Anniversary Reunion Marys Lake, Estes Park, Colorado |
Additional 2015 photos, edited by Scott Marys Lake & Rocky Mountain National Park
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December 2016 Mini-Reunion Birthday photos Shenandoah Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia |
August 2017 BBQ & Mini-Reunion photos Doug Marshall's House, Michigan |
July 2018 Mini-Reunion Hike photos Along the Colorado Trail |
August 2019 Mini-Reunion Hike photos Along the John Muir Trail, California |
October 2020 Mini-Reunion Hike photos Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
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September 2021 Mini-Reunion Hike photos Isle Royale National Park, Michigan
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March 2022 Reunion photos & videos St. Augustine, Florida
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July 2022 Mini-Reunion Hike photos Collegiate Peaks Loop, Colorado |
September 2023 Mini-Reunion Hike photos John Muir Trail into Yosemite Nat'l Park, California |
July 2024 BBQ & Mini-Reunion photos Doug Marshall's House, Michigan
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The Father of the American Discovery Trail
The American Discovery Trail (ADT) is a new breed of national trail - part city, part small town, part forest, part mountains, part desert - all in one trail. Opened in 2000, its 6,800+ miles of continuous, multi-use trail stretches from Cape Henlopen State Park, Delaware, to Pt. Reyes National Seashore, California. It reaches across America, linking community to community in the first coast to coast, non-motorized trail. The ADT provides trail users the opportunity to journey into the heart of all that is uniquely American - its culture, heritage, landscape and spirit. (November 9, 2014) |
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© HikaNation.com. All rights reserved.
Curator - Archivist - Website Designer
William Ewart |
Counter installed April 2, 2022. Website created in 1998 or 2000.
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