The conceptualization and development of pedestrian recreational wilderness trails in the American West, 1890-1940: A landscape history

Wolar, Glynn

Cultural and intellectual histories may occasionally focus undue attention upon the intellectual musings of well-known individuals, while bypassing equally significant catalysts located upon the landscape that shaped the intellect of the individuals under study. The mind, however, is rarely detached from the landscape. Thus, this study seeks to provide an answer to a simple historical question: What tangible dynamic allowed twentieth century Americans to view wilderness as a sacred landscape? The best evidence for discussions of wilderness is the wilderness landscape itself, and the cultural artifact that pervades all wilderness landscapes in the West is the trail. The central thesis of this study argues that aggressive road building through wild areas during the opening decades of the twentieth century instigated the conceptualization and construction of foot trails as preservative agents of wilderness. The stark contrast facing the consciousness of the twentieth century American individual, between a life dominated by increasingly mechanized industrial urbanization and a life that incorporated the wilderness trail experience, was sufficiently profound that Americans began to develop an appreciation for the scenic attractions of primeval nature. The trail allowed individuals to experience directly the last vestiges of American frontier wilderness in the post-frontier era, and brought solace to the souls of individuals alienated by industrialization. Mega-long distance trails were developed during the 1920s, becoming the basis for linking primeval regions together into de facto wilderness barriers against further intrusions upon the pristine landscapes of the nation. The mega-long distance trails were perceived to be wilderness corridors that preserved America's remaining wilderness landscapes. Preservation of wilderness was, in turn, believed to permanently assure that America's frontier was effectively stored within the archive of the feet. This study proposes to trace the commencement of recreational foot trails development by focusing primarily upon four national parks in the West that became distinguished as “trail parks,” and by reviewing the development of mega-long distance trails conceptualizations in America during the twentieth century. Searching numerous archival sources throughout the West, a pattern of development was established whereby trails were consciously perceived as important avenues of spiritual renewal.