Congress orders study of a 500-mile trail George Washington walked in 1753.
S. 4538 — Washington’s Trail—1753 National Historic Trail Feasibility Study Act of 2026 · Filed by John Fetterman (D-PA) · 5 cosponsors · Introduced May 14, 2026 · Reported out
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What it does
The bill tells the Secretary of the Interior to study a 500-mile route. George Washington traveled this route in 1753 from Williamsburg, Virginia, to Fort LeBoeuf, Pennsylvania. The study will decide if this trail should become a national historic trail. The study itself is all this bill does. Any actual designation would need a separate action later.
Who it affects
The study could help preserve a colonial-era route and teach people about history. Private landowners might be affected if the trail is later designated. Communities in Virginia and Pennsylvania could gain tourism and money.
One thing to notice
This bill only orders a study. It does not make the trail a national historic trail.
From the analysis of the bill text, linked under Primary records below.
Where it stands
5 cosponsors: 3 Republicans, 2 Democrats.
- May 14, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
- May 14, 2026 — Referred to Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources”
- Jul 21, 2026 — Hearing held · Congress.gov: “Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held”
- Jul 29, 2026 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
Words to know
- national historic trail — A long-distance route the federal government recognizes and protects for its historical importance.
- Secretary of the Interior — The cabinet official who runs the Department of the Interior and manages federal lands and parks.
- designation — An official label or status the government gives to something to protect or recognize it.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (754 characters) on Aug 20, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,778 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-11-01.
“Congress orders study of a 500-mile trail George Washington walked in 1753.” QuorumCivic. https://share.quorumcivic.app/bill/119/s4538/simple Report an error
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