MARQUETTE — “Everyone is welcome” at the seventh annual North Country National Scenic Trail Day on Saturday, an event intended to celebrate the trail and the volunteers who maintain it.

This year Marquette’s NCT Hikers Chapter is hosting “Celebrate Walking in Marquette” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26 at the corner of Lakeshore Boulevard and the drive into Mattson Lower Harbor Park right along the Marquette multi-use pathway.

The North Country Trail Association is a national non-profit volunteer organization that works with the National Park Service to build, maintain, promote and protect the Congressionally approved North Country National Scenic Trail as it traverses approximately 4,600 miles from Vermont, to North Dakota.

Information on the NCT, the NCTA 2020 Hike 100 Challenge, the local chapter and the NCTA will be available along with local merchandise to purchase, membership forms for donations of $20 or more, and a drawing for three NCT Hikers T-shirts. It costs nothing to hike the NCT but donations to support the volunteers are strongly encouraged.

According to a release from the Marquette chapter, in this unique year of COVID-19, the Trail has become even more significant in the lives of everyone as a place to get “out of the house”, get some fresh air, commune with nature, and get some much-needed exercise.

The 2020 NCTA’s Hike 100 Challenge, challenging everyone to hike, walk, saunter or mosey, for 100 miles through the year on the NCT, was itself challenged. Since many were in lockdown, the rules were changed from April through July to allow one to count any miles, not just NCT miles. Over 3,700 people across the eight states signed up and well over 1,000 have completed the challenge along with many dogs and even a few cats.

Organizers encourage hikers to start now as they have until the end of December to get 100 miles finished or add some miles to the challenge by walking along the trail through Marquette on Sept. 26 and stopping by to chat with the volunteers at the booth who would love to hear stories about hiking regardless of where it took place.

Note that the City of Marquette is an official NCTA Trail Town, welcoming hikers to enjoy all the great trails the city and surrounding area provides. And, the Marquette multi-use pathway along Lake Superior that hosts the NCT as it travels through town, is fully accessible. When hiking the NCT people will see dollar-bill sized blue blazes on trees, posts and rocks.

All CDC and State of Michigan COVID-19 guidelines re social distancing will be adhered to.