LAKE TAHOE, Nev./Calif. – To celebrate 250 years of America, the American Discovery Trail Society (ADTS) is hosting a coast-to-coast relay on the American Discovery Trail (ADT), scheduled to start on July 4 and will last 150 days, concluding on Thanksgiving. As part of the 6800 mile journey, the relay will pass through 520 miles of Nevada and enter California through the Tahoe Rim Trail.

What is the American Discovery Trail? 

The ADT first started out as a concept. If an ambitious soul wanted to traverse from one coast to another, what would hold some of the country’s most breathtaking scenery? Which course of action would be most efficient? 

Inspiration first came from a 14-month cross-country trip called HikaNation, which took place from April 1980 to May 1981. From there, the American Hiking Society (AHS) began to form the novel idea of an official, non-motorized, coast-to-coast trail. 

By 1989, AHS and Backpacker Magazine put their heads together to create a proposal for the ADT and by 2005, the trail was finalized with the help of the established ADTS to carry its mission forward. “The American Discovery 250 Relay is its own version of the HikaNation trip,” said Samantha Szesciorka, Nevada local and state coordinator for the ADT. 

The relay, which is scheduled to start on July 4, covers the entire ADT and stretches from the Pacific Ocean at Point Reyes National Seashore to the Atlantic Ocean at Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware. 

The relay will go west to east. In Colorado, the ADT splits with the north route taking you through to Nebraska and Iowa. The south route takes you down through Kansas and Missouri, with all roads leading to Cincinnati. Szesciorka notes that the decision to go north or south at this split is preferential to the participant.

What can participants expect?

Szesciorka has ridden the ADT on horseback twice, and if there’s anyone who understands what it’s like on the trail, and especially in the Nevada/Tahoe region, it’s Szesciorka.

“Out of all 15 states the trail goes through, Nevada is typically considered the most difficult state to navigate,” said Szesciorka. “Because of the long stretches between towns, the terrain is very challenging. We have a lot of mountain ranges – the trail crosses all of them.”

A little extra care is required and encouraged by Szesciorka to make sure people cross safely through Tahoe Rim Trail and across the Silver State. 

“We anticipate getting through Nevada mid to late July,” said Szesciorka. “Which can typically  be really hot.” 

While “roughing it” is an option for many, if taking the entire trail by storm is not something you’re looking to do, participants can decide which parts of the trail they want to go through during the relay.

“There’s a place for participants of all skill levels,” said Szesciorka. “If people wanted to participate either by hiking, running or biking but they’re not really interested in the real back-country experience, they can still be in the relay around Lake Tahoe, Carson City, or Virginia City. Even if you wanted to run or walk one mile, you could just do that, and it would be wonderful. What a cool thing to say you were a part of.”

Szesciorka encourages locals to consider becoming volunteers by providing water and other supplies to participants . “We really are going to need volunteer support, especially Nevada. And sometimes participants just want moral support, just cheering them on really means a lot.” 

Voices of American Discovery Trail goers

Stephen Gefell is from Rochester, New York, and he hiked the ADT in 2025 to satisfy a sense of adventure. 

“I realized I wasn’t getting any younger,” Gefell said, and when it came to preparation for his journey, he walked around his local mall for several weeks. “I had planned to walk the roads around my parents’ house in Western New York before leaving, but it was so cold and snowy.” 

Gefell is an Adirondack Forty-Sixer, an organization of hikers who have climbed 46 mountains included in the < 4000 foot group. In addition to that, he’s climbed all the fire towers in the Adirondack and Catskills Mountains. Although the ADT was his first thru-hike, his prior experience hiking, biking and testing his physical limits proved to be helpful.

“I saw a lot of country over 4,629 miles and 258 days.” Gefell walked 211 of those days and spent the other 47 days either resting or taking in the views.

“I really enjoyed the Tahoe Rim Trail, and I’m glad that part of it is included in the ADT,” said Gefell. “I spent some time eating my morning snack on the state border near Mt. Baldy, and it was very peaceful. Sometimes multi-use trails can have some conflict between hikers and bikers, but everyone I met was super cool. There’s just a really great outdoor community in Tahoe.” 

Among Gefell’s highlights was his time in Olympic Village at Palisades Tahoe. “That was a really neat piece of history, and I even took an extra day off there, just to enjoy the mountains and food.” 

Challenges on the ADT consisted of meeting his body’s needs. “The ADT is an exercise in tolerating chronic dehydration. I was expecting some issues with water availability since I came through the area in September, but it really wasn’t bad. Galena Falls served double duty as a great-tasting and great-looking watering hole,” Gefell said.

Minnesotans Erin Dietrich and her husband, Chris Rea decided to take a trek across the country in 2021. They went from east to west and used about 20% of the ADT, including from Virginia City to the Tahoe Rim Trail. 

“We got to the [Tahoe] Rim Trail, and hiking up the trail was super, super steep. The steepest part of our whole crossing,” said Dietrich. “We stayed at a campsite the first night, and the next morning we tried to walk on the Rim trail and we probably did for about five miles, but it was so sandy.”

They decided to push strollers with their gear in it instead of backpacking because it was easier on their bodies, but due to Tahoe’s terrain of finely decomposed granite, they had reached an uphill battle.

“With backpacks, you have to be so careful with every single ounce, whereas with strollers, you can carry 50 to 60 pounds and be fine. Our bodies weren’t getting beat up as much, our feet weren’t getting beat up as much, and we could carry a lot more gear. The strollers were great for us, really in the whole country, except for that part,” Dietrich said. “It was so steep, I remember looking at my feet, and I couldn’t even get one foot in front of the other foot. I couldn’t even heel-toe, it was so steep. I would count my steps to 20 and then I’d give myself a rest.” 

Because they were having such a difficult time getting through the granite sand on the Tahoe Rim Trail, and their strollers were wider than the path, they decided to turn around and reroute through South Lake Tahoe and onto US Highway 50.

“It was right after the Caldor fire,” the devastating wildfire that rocked the basin, burning over 220,000 acres in 69 days, forcing evacuations of thousands of people. “The road, 50, had just been opened up three days prior,” said Dietrich. “There were still firefighters putting out smoldering flames. It was heartbreaking, seeing fireplaces just standing, candles still on the mantle but nothing else around.”  

Their time on the Tahoe Rim Trail as part of the ADT proves as a cautionary tale to those looking to participate in the relay with strollers. It may be best to find another means of carrying gear if you’re passing through that area of the relay. 

If you’re interested in participating, whether that’s on horseback, biking, walking, running, or volunteering, you can sign up by visiting https://discoverytrail.org/america-250-relay. Participation is completely free.

To learn more about the American Discovery Trail, visit discoverytrail.org.