DENTON, Md. - The town of Denton is celebrating a new distinction as the first officially recognized "Trail Town" along the Great American Discovery Trail.
The American Discovery Trail Society launched the Trail Town program last year to strengthen ties between the trail and the communities it passes through. Society members marked the occasion by hiking a portion of the trail in Denton.
"The board of directors thought it would be interesting to create Trail Towns as a way to strengthen the relationship between the trail and the communities we pass through," said Eric Howard, executive director of the American Discovery Trail Society .
The American Discovery Trail, first established in 1990, is the only coast-to-coast, non-motorized trail in the United States. It stretches approximately 6,000 miles from Delaware to California, connecting diverse landscapes and communities.
"This is a really historic occasion, and there's only one trail that goes across the whole country, east to west," said Peter Schoettle, the Maryland state coordinator for the society.
The program aims to bring recognition and tourism to unique towns along the trail’s route.
"I think we're going to be on the map more. People are going to know we're on the trail, and they're going to want to hike through here," said Kim Crispino, the society’s secretary and tourism coordinator at the Wharves of Choptank Visitor and Heritage Center.
The trail begins at Cape Henlopen, Delaware, and follows historic routes, including centuries-old Indigenous trails, before reaching Denton. It continues toward Washington, D.C., before linking to the C&O Canal Path and extending west through West Virginia, Denver, and beyond.
"It starts in Cape Henlopen, and from Cape Henlopen to Denton, it essentially follows the old Indian trails from 400 or 500 years ago. And then from there, it goes down toward Washington, D.C., and then up the C&O Canal Path to West Virginia and across to Denver, Colorado, and to California," said Howard.
To help hikers stay on course, the society has placed plaques in state parks across Caroline County. Members plan to travel to Iowa to name the next Trail Town.
Meanwhile, some hikers are kicking off a three-day trek from Denton to Cape Henlopen to celebrate the town’s new status.