Benton MacKaye National Scenic Trail Feasibility Study Act of 2025

This bill tells the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study whether the Benton MacKaye Trail should become a national scenic trail and to report back within one year. The study must be done with input from interested groups, including the Benton MacKaye Trail Association. It does not create a new trail right away—it only starts the process to see if the designation makes sense.

The bill explains why this trail matters. The Benton MacKaye Trail runs about 287 miles through Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina. It passes through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and several national forests, offers hikes for many skill levels, supports nearby small towns, and is mostly on federal land, which helps keep costs down. Volunteers have maintained it for decades.

• Who is affected: Hikers, local communities in GA, TN, and NC, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and trail groups.
• What changes: A required feasibility study to consider national scenic trail status; no immediate designation.
• When: The study must be completed within one year after the bill becomes law.