Benton MacKaye National Scenic Trail Feasibility Study Act of 2025

Plain-English Summary: Benton MacKaye National Scenic Trail Feasibility Study Act of 2025

This bill would direct the federal government to conduct a formal study examining whether the Benton MacKaye Trail should be designated as a National Scenic Trail. The Benton MacKaye Trail is an approximately 300-mile hiking trail that runs through Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina, passing through the southern Appalachian Mountains. Right now, it does not have official National Scenic Trail status, which is a special federal designation given to trails of exceptional natural and recreational significance.

A feasibility study like this would evaluate factors such as the trail's natural beauty, historical and cultural importance, recreational value, and what federal designation might mean practically — including potential costs, land management responsibilities, and effects on surrounding communities and landowners. The study does not automatically change the trail's status; it simply gathers the information needed for Congress to make a more informed decision later about whether full designation makes sense.

This bill would primarily affect hikers, outdoor recreation enthusiasts, and local communities along the trail corridor in Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina. It could also affect nearby landowners, state and local governments, and land management agencies like the U.S. Forest Service. If the trail were eventually designated a National Scenic Trail following the study, it could bring increased federal funding, greater tourism, and stronger land protections to the region.

The bill has moved through the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee and has been placed on the Senate calendar for consideration by the full Senate.