The Potomac Heritage Trail, also known as the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail or the PHT, is a designated National Scenic Trail corridor spanning parts of the mid-Atlantic region of the United States that will connect various trails and historic sites in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia. The trail network includes 710 miles (1,140 km) of existing and planned sections,[1] tracing the natural, historical, and cultural features of the Potomac River corridor, the upper Ohio Riverwatershed in Pennsylvania and western Maryland, and a portion of the Rappahannock River watershed in Virginia. The trail is managed by the National Park Service and is one of three National Trails that are official NPS units.[2]
Three substantial sections of the trail were in existence when the Potomac Heritage Trail officially became a National Scenic Trail in 1983. These trails range from hiking-only to multi-use, illustrating the variety of the PHT route.[3]
Two partially completed routes within the District of Columbia—the 23-mile (37 km) Fort Circle Parks Trail, part of the Civil War Defenses of Washington, and a multi-use route between Georgetown and Oxon Cove Park.
The Government Island Trail, the planned 5-mile (8.0 km) Historic Falmouth-Ferry Farm Trail, and the Aquia Creek Water Trail, all in Stafford County, Virginia.
^Lillard, David; Talone, Ed. "Hiking". Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail - DC, MD, PA, VA. National Park Service. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
^"Basic Information". Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail - DC, MD, PA, VA. National Park Service. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
^ abcLillard, David Edwin; Talone, Ed (2006). Potomac Heritage Trail: A Hiker's Guide. West Newton, Pennsylvania: Great Allegheny Press. ISBN0-9717475-5-5.
^High, Mike (2000). The C&O Canal Companion. Baltimore and London: Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN978-0-8018-6602-9.
