American Discovery Trail director walks Delaware section

Joined by three other hikers, American Discovery Trail Society Executive Director Eric Howard recently trekked across the trail’s 45-mile-long Delaware section.

The American Discovery Trail is a cross-country trail that begins in Cape Henlopen State Park and ends at Limantour Beach, Calif. The trail forks in western Ohio before reconnecting in Colorado. Coast-to-coast, the northern route is about 4,834 miles, while the southern route is about 5,057 miles.

Howard took over in January and is the society’s first executive director. He lives in New England, but was in the area because the day before his hike across Delaware started, he was in Denton, Md., to celebrate that town being recognized as the first Trail Town along the ADT.

Howard walked the trail over the course of three days, 15 miles a day, beginning April 3. He was joined by Terry Shuchart, trail society coordinator for Delaware, and ADT supporters Carol Middleton and Dan Armstrong. It was also the first time crossing Delaware for Middleton, who lives in Denton, Md., and Armstrong, who is from Maryland, but now lives in New York City.

“I’ve been interested in the ADT for a long time,” said Armstrong.

Howard answered some questions after he completed the journey.

“Early spring was a great time to walk across the state; open views, fewer cars and stretching legs after too much time spent indoors,” said Howard. “My hometown in New England was settled by Europeans in 1629, about the same time that the Dutch came to Lewes, but the regions are completely different: rocks versus sand. hills versus flatland. I need a second trip to help me decide which I prefer.”

Looking to the future, Howard said he’s thinking of walking a short section of the trail in Kentucky in recognition of National Trails Day June 7. Next spring, he said, he might do the entire Delmarva Peninsula with a larger group, hitch a ride across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, and stop in Annapolis to meet with Maryland legislators to talk with them about the value of parks and trails.

“Ever since the early humans migrated out of Africa, we have been creating new trails to get from place to place. The American Discovery Trail has been around for 35 years, and all trails, including transcontinental ones, need advocates,” said Howard. “Each is unique in terms of who does use it and who might use it, what you see and learn, and benefits to the local communities that host them.”

For more information on the American Discovery Trail and the trail society, go to discoverytrail.org. Howard can be reached directly at ehoward@discoverytrail.org.