If passed, the Bay Area Ridge Trail would join the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Ice Age Trail, and eight more hikes in the federally-protected system. Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) introduced a bill that would designate Northern California’s Bay Area Ridge Trail as a National Scenic Trail. By 1987, the National Park Service, the Greenbelt Alliance, and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area formed the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council to put their dreams into action. Today, the Bay Area Ridge Trail connects over 145 parks and open spaces through San Francisco Bay, Marin, Sonoma, Napa, Berkeley, Oakland, the Peninsula, San Jose and Fremont where it functions as a multi-use trail where hikers, equestrians, and cyclists recreate. National recognition would honor that significance while helping us complete and protect this vision for generations to come.”Currently, just 11 trails have the National Scenic Trail designation across the country, including popular long-distance routes like the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail, as well as lesser known routes like the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, and the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail.