The Heritage Trails Partnership (HTP) is empowering youth to make a difference on the Mississippi Gulf Coast through the Mississippi Coastal Heritage Trail (MCHT), a world-class, multi-use pathway stretching over 100 miles from Louisiana to Alabama. This “border-to-border” trail will connect neighborhoods, schools, businesses, green spaces, and waterways, providing residents and visitors with recreational, educational, and cultural experiences along the historic and scenic Gulf Coast.

The MCHT will increase public access to natural resource sites, islands, forests, and waterways while educating communities about the lasting impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Serving as both a recreational corridor and living classroom, the trail teaches about the connection between humans and the marine environment, while offering opportunities for walking, biking, and exploring the Gulf Coast’s rich natural and cultural heritage.

Youth Leadership and Stewardship

Central to this effort is the Youth Trails Partnership (YTP), which engages young leaders ages 16–24 to take an active role in conservation, trail development, and community engagement. Youth volunteers participate in service-learning events, gaining hands-on experience in trail maintenance, ecological restoration, and environmental education. Along the way, participants develop valuable skills, build leadership and teamwork, and experience the outdoors firsthand, spotting bald eagles, great blue herons, and even alligators while exploring trails along the coast.

Since its inception, youth voices have shaped HTP’s initiatives. Inspired by Richard Louv’s Last Child in the Woods (2005) and the concept of “Nature Deficit Disorder,” HTP has worked to reconnect young people with nature. Highlights include the Outdoor Nation Summit (2011) and the Jr. Trails Partnership Planning Retreat (2012), where youth mapped out ways to expand outdoor engagement and stewardship across Mississippi and Alabama. From these efforts, the vision for a Youth Trails Stewardship Summit emerged, bringing together diverse young leaders to exchange ideas, foster community, and build a lifelong connection to the outdoors.

Working alongside the National Park Service – Rivers, Trails & Conservation Assistance Program and a network of partners, HTP and YTP are building a coast-wide network of trails that connect people, communities, and nature, leaving a lasting legacy of education, recreation, and stewardship for generations to come.