The Progression of
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Pre-hike California Nevada Utah Colorado Kansas
Oklahoma Arkansas Missouri Illinois Kentucky Virginia
West Virginia Maryland D.C. Maryland Delaware Afterwards


HikaNation was a 14-month cross-country backpacking trip starting at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California on April 12, 1980, and ending at Cape Henlopen, Delaware on May 27, 1981 after traversing over 4,286 miles and passing through 14 states and Washington, D.C.

Purposes for the hike included highlighting the need for more hiking trails across America and promoting hiking as a low energy consumption form of recreation.


The HikaNation Story
by Jim Kern

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HikaNation   was   organized   by
Jim Kern, William Kemsley, Jr., Paul Pritchard, Glenn Seaborg, and others, and was sponsored by the American Hiking Society, the United States Department of the Interior Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service, and Postum, along with various other suppliers & supporters, including Backpacker  magazine.

The Progression of HikaNation details the journey with various organizational memos, letters, newspaper and magazine articles.

Search/Contact HikaNation

 
...and so it begins...


Hikers Needed to Hike Across the United States
"....hike begins in March, 1979"
& HikaNation "Original Hike Route" Map

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Memorandum #1
October 26, 1978

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AHS Memos
10/1978, 12/1978, 02/1979
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AHS Cross-Country Hike Postponed to 1980
December 1978
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Memo from Jim Kern
Winter 1978

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Memorandum #2
January 1979

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1979 Updates on AHS HikaNation
Feb/March, April/May, August, Oct/Nov
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Memorandum #3
April 1979
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HikaNation-AHS overview,
including proposed budgets
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A Sponsorship Proposal
for HikaNation
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HikaNation Participants
& State Planners

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Calendars and Budgets
April 1979 & Beyond




AHS News: Vol. 3 No. 3
AHS Holds First Annual Hike-in
AHS Cross-Country Hike Moves Forward

June 1979

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Memorandum #4
June 25, 1979
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1979 HikaNation Ad
Backpacker Footnotes

July 1979
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Memorandum #5
August 1979

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AHS News: Vol. 3 No. 4
August 1979

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Memorandum #6
October 1979

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HikaNation - How It Began
Mike McReynolds
San Francisco Bay Area Chairman
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AHS News: Volume 3, Number 5
AHS Hike-A-Nation Progress

October 1979

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Information Sheets for HikaNation,
Suggested Equipment List,
Trip Preparation List, etc.

November 1979
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"Publicity, Public Relations, Logistics"
from Mike McReynolds' archives

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Guidelines
(date unknown)
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Correspondences with AHS - HikaNation
November 1979 - February 1980

McReynolds, Monty, Kern, Miller to/from
Bruce, Marce, Keith, William, Linda
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HikaNation Inquiries
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Memorandum #7
December 23, 1979
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Hikers Needed
Backpacker Magazine

Dec 1979 - Jan 1980
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Logistical Problems
Mike McReynolds

January 15, 1980
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Memorandum #8
February 1980
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AHS News: Vol. 4 No. 2
Hike-A-Nation Kick-Off April 12

February 1980 issue
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Hiking's Big Opportunity
by William Kemsley, Jr.

Feb/March 1980
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President Carter's
Commitment to Trails

Feb/March 1980
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Memorandum #9
March 1980
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March 1, 1980 - Immediate Release Memo
Detailed overview of HikaNation
and the first 2 days of the route
More from Mike McReynolds'
"Publicity, Public Relations, Logistics" Archives


 
Special Memo to Through Hikers
& Health Activities Project

March 15 & 18, 1980
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The Owego Shopper
"Hiking through America the Beautiful"

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HikaNation coming!
March 1980
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Bruce Ohlson to hike to Washington
April 1980
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The Progression of
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Pre-hike California Nevada Utah Colorado Kansas
Oklahoma Arkansas Missouri Illinois Kentucky Virginia
West Virginia Maryland D.C. Maryland Delaware Afterwards



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