Media Release


Mile Zero Trail Association Plans Two Trails of National Significance


The Mile Zero Trail Association is the starting place for something great. The organization planned and proposed two major trail projects, along with related local and national programs.

One, the Link Trail, is planned as a National Recreation Trail and potentially a groundbreaking National Cultural Trail. The other, the Route of Cabeza de Vaca, is proposed to be a National Historic Trail.




The Link Trail

The Link Trail will connect the Appalachian National Scenic Trail with hiking and cycling trails on the Continental Divide. The 1,800 mile trail will utilize about 700 miles of existing trails. MZTA will establish Chapter Organizations to help plan the best route in an intermodal trail corridor that will serve hikers, cyclists and auto tourists.

The Link Trail was initially conceived as a trail to connect Dallas-Fort Worth residents and visitors to the Southern Great Plains and Interior Highlands, utilizing distinctive mountain ranges that exist nearby in southern Oklahoma.


The Route of Cabeza de Vaca

MZTA will advocate for a timely opportunity to designate a national and international historic trail for the purpose of education and cultural exchange.

2027 marks the Quincentennial of critical events that shaped the North American continent. Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca's chronicle of the failed Narvaez expedition, 1527-1536, constitutes the earliest written descriptions of the indigenous people, customs, natural environment, weather, climate and landscape inside the modern boundaries of the United States. During their flight for survival, the castaways surveyed Florida, the Gulf Coast, Texas and northern Mexico.

While Cabeza de Vaca's account is an important historic record, it is also an immensely dramatic and harrowing tale. Filled with tragedy, mystery and misadventure, and curious omissions, it stands as one of the world's greatest epic stories.


The trails present an interesting geographic and cultural forum for an impressive array of programs, which are noted below. Further descriptions and highlights may be reviewed on the Mile Zero Trail Association website.

The Link Trail
Arts and culture programs
Youth camps
A basecamp location for youth camps
Youth education and after-school programs
Local facilities, such as community gardens and visitor centers
An arts and media center, partly modeled after The Artery
Hands-on tree and environmental education programs, inspired by the Shelterbelt program
A competitive multi-stage cycling tour, like the Tour de France

The Route of Cabeza de Vaca
An international historic and interpretive trail
Quincentennial events, like those surrounding the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Cultural exchange events in communities on and near the National Historic Trail
A Museum of the Spanish Entradas


Membership Programs

Membership programs are planned to include: travel information, tours, newsletters, conferences, outreach events and more.


MZTA Media page: www.mile0.org/media.html

A full website index will help locate more information and frequently asked questions (FAQs) is available online at: www.mile0.org/siteindex.html