National Trails System Act Authorities

Star Spangled Banner National Historic Trail
Star Spangled Banner National Historic Trail. © Bart Smith

The National Trails System Act’s authorities are divided into those which are compulsory (musts and shalls) and those which are discretionary (mays). They are broken down by topic, with the section and subsection shown in ( )s. Authorities should not be implemented without full reference to the language of the section in which they are found.

Click here to view the full National Trails System Act Authorities from Reference Manual #45 (Appendix A, page 108).

Last updated: June 29, 2023