Celebrate America’s 250 with Us

In 2026, we celebrate the outdoors and 250 years of American history with the American Discovery 250 Relay.

This 6,800-mile relay from California to Delaware will carry a copy of the Declaration of Independence from coast to coast, crossing the Golden Gate Bridge on the 4th of July and ending on Thanksgiving at the Atlantic Ocean. Join the celebration by participating for a day or more in a relay, attending some of the locally-hosted events, or sharing your story of personal growth and adventure. Together, we commemorate America’s past and shape our future.

There are many ways to learn about America. We welcome you as a participant, sponsor, or simply an enthusiast who follows the relay from your couch at home!

The relay is a celebration of America and a celebration of the American Discovery Trail — educating people about American history, culture, and nature. This is not a sports or athletic contest, exhibition, festival, parade, or fundraiser. The American Discovery Trail goes past numerous historic sites, through dozens of ecosystems, and it is hosted by hundreds of communities.

The 35-year-old route passes through lands and trails overseen by numerous state and local agencies and organizations in fifteen states, the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, as well as near the homes of more than 40 million people. Relayers and participants will be from around the country and also abroad, with opportunities for businesses, families, students, older residents, and communities of all types to be involved.

For more information, contact us at relay@discoverytrail.org‍ ‍

Wish to zoom in and see the route? www.discoverytrail.org/adtroute

How To Participate

People have been walking, biking, running, and riding the American Discovery Trail for years - the initial route was laid out in the early 1990s. This historic journey will be about 145 days, starting in July in California and ending on Thanksgiving Day in Delaware.‍ ‍

We are looking for individual relayers or teams of relayers in 15 states!

We cross the western states in the summer - after the winter snows in the Rocky Mountains have melted. In the late summer we are in the middle of the country, often on bicycles. The relay will reach the eastern states in fall, with visits in our nation’s capitol in mid-November and a plunge in the Atlantic on Thanksgiving Day. (see below for approximate dates)

Relayers who contribute $30 or more will become members of the American Discovery Trail Society, and many are making a donation to support the relay.

For additional information about the Relay:

FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions page.

Youtube Video of Background / Info Session.

Link to Press Stories about the Relay.

Approximate Dates at Specific Cities:

• 7/4 - San Francisco / Golden Gate Bridge

• 7/10 - Sacramento, California

• 7/16 - Carson City, Nevada

• 8/1 - Beaver, Utah

• 8/19 - Grand Junction, Colorado

• 9/8 - Denver, Colorado

• 9/24 - Kansas City. Kansas

• 9/28 - Jefferson City, Missouri

• 10/2 - St. Louis, Missouri

• 9/21 - Lincoln Nebraska

• 9/29 - Des Moines, Iowa

• 10/12 - Chicago, Illinois

• 10/21 - Cincinnati, Ohio

• 11/17 - Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

• 11/20 - Washington, D.C.

• 11/22 - Annapolis, Maryland

• 11/26 - Lewes, Del. - Cape Henlopen

Other:

• Link to the Liability Waiver

Support This Celebration

Your support will help us create a unique program. As of March 27, institutional sponsors and partners include Cedar Valley Trails Partnership in Iowa, Indiana Trails, North Bend Rails to Trails Foundation in West Virginia, Visit Concord in California, plus individuals in Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire, and Texas at the $250-$1000 level, and many contributors at the $100 level.

Generous individuals, families, businesses, public agencies and foundations are supporting milestone events and providing the resources needed to honor America’s past and future and inspire the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts — be they students, veterans, retirees, urbanites, rural residents, and all sorts of others.

Our trail is 6,800 miles, so our giving levels include national trail sponsors ($6,800), sponsors for the four regions ($1,700), local sponsors ($600), as well as gold and silver sponsors ($25,000 and $10,000)

Click “Be a Sponsor” or call Eric Howard at 800-663-2387 for details on the benefits of being a sponsor.

Be a Sponsor