---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 1243"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "1243"
heading: "National recreation trails; establishment and designation; prerequisites"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/1243"
units:
  - "Chapter 27 — National Trails System"
---

# §1243. National recreation trails; establishment and designation; prerequisites

- (a) The [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of the Interior, or the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of Agriculture where lands administered by him are involved, may establish and designate national recreation trails, with the consent of the Federal agency, [State](/usc/16/1251.md?p=3), or political [subdivision](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=15) having jurisdiction over the lands involved, upon finding that—
  - (i) such trails are reasonably accessible to [urban areas](/usc/16/544.md?p=s), and, or
  - (ii) such trails meet the criteria established in this chapter and such supplementary criteria as he may prescribe.
- (b) As provided in this section, trails within [park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3), forest, and other recreation [areas](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) administered by the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of the Interior or the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of Agriculture or in other federally administered [areas](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) may be established and designated as “National Recreation Trails” by the appropriate [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) and, when no [Federal land](/usc/16/3102.md?p=2) [acquisition](/usc/16/620e.md?p=1) is involved—
  - (i) trails in or reasonably accessible to [urban areas](/usc/16/544.md?p=s) may be designated as “National Recreation Trails” by the appropriate [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) with the consent of the [States](/usc/16/544.md?p=r), their political [subdivisions](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=15), or other appropriate administering agencies;
  - (ii) trails within [park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3), forest, and other recreation [areas](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) owned or administered by [States](/usc/16/544.md?p=r) may be designated as “National Recreation Trails” by the appropriate [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) with the consent of the [State](/usc/16/1251.md?p=3); and
  - (iii) trails on privately owned lands may be designated “National Recreation Trails” by the appropriate [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) with the written consent of the [owner](/usc/16/429b–3.md?p=4) of the property involved.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 90–543, § 4, Oct. 2, 1968, 82 Stat. 919; Pub. L. 98–11, title II, § 204, Mar. 28, 1983, 97 Stat. 43.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1983—Subsec. (b)(i), (ii). Pub. L. 98–11, § 204(1), substituted “appropriate Secretary” for “Secretary of the Interior”.

Subsec. (b)(iii). Pub. L. 98–11, § 204(2)–(4), added cl. (iii).