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American Perimeter Trail Documentary

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The American Perimeter Trail will connect and conserve a corridor of land that is 14,000 miles long. It will be the 12th National Scenic Trail and by far the longest one. Rue Mckenrick has already hiked over 13,000 miles of this route, and he will complete his initial scouting for the trail this summer.
 
He is the founder of the American Perimeter Trail Conference, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating the trail and, ultimately a federally recognized conservation corridor that will receive similar protections as the land within national parks.
 
We are making a documentary about Rue’s incredible journey to hike around America and blaze his own trail. As Rue has put it, “everything happened on the APT hike.” When creating a new trail from scratch there is no path to follow and Rue had to figure things out as he hiked. He hiked by himself, and at times he didn’t see people for weeks. Interestingly enough, his hike was defined by the human encounters he had around America. He found himself on the receiving end of human nature's best and worst sides. He got to experience all aspects of American culture. The film will provide a unique look into the American people and how we can connect hundreds of communities.
 
Hiking the 14,000-mile-long trail is only half the challenge. Turning the American Perimeter Trail into a National Scenic Trail requires an act of congress. To achieve this goal will take unrelenting commitment, and the documentary will explore what motivates a man like Rue to take on such an impossible task.
 
This film will be crucial in raising awareness about the American Perimeter Trail. Without that awareness, the trail won’t receive National Scenic Trail status, and the land it passes through won’t be protected. In addition to the conservation efforts, the film will also provide social benefits. In a time when the media is so divisive, this film will help Americans see who their neighbors really are and provide opportunities for communities to learn about each other and come together through a shared goal.
 
The documentary is being produced by Alex Maier and Amy Robin, at Wilderness Mindset. Alex has already created three hiking documentaries on his own. He is most well-known for his film, “Figure it Out: on the Hayduke Trail,” which has been very popular on Amazon Prime. Alex and Amy are working on a fourth documentary now, called Mind, Body, & Soul: the Nature of Well-being. Which takes place on the Continental Divide Trail. You can view their work at, Wilderness Mindset.

Producing this documentary will involve interviewing people and filming in locations from every corner of the country. This Go Fund Me campaign will pay for the expenses required to produce this film. 


The map below shows the proposed route for the American Perimeter Trail in black. In red, are all 11 of the current National Scenic Trails. During Rue's initial scouting hike he had to cut off Florida and New England. Due to COVID, those trails were not open and neither was the Appalachian Trail. That's why you will see some maps of the APT that leave out those parts of the country, but Rue has already hiked those areas and plans to include them in the final route. Another reason for staying off the Appalachian trail is to create a new conservation corridor, thereby conserving even more land! 


Follow Rue and the APT on social media! 
American Perimeter Trail on facebook 
American Perimeter Trail on instagram
Rue McKenrick on facebook 
Rue McKenrick on instagram 
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Donations 

  • Kelley Spencer
    • $10 
    • 1 yr
  • karen sharples
    • $100 
    • 1 yr
  • William Cunninghame
    • $25 
    • 1 yr
  • Sharon Newell
    • $15 
    • 1 yr
  • Claudia Cushman
    • $20 
    • 1 yr
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Fundraising team (3)

Alex Maier
Organizer
Columbus, MT
Alex Maier
Beneficiary
Rue McKenrick
Team member
Raised $1,270 from 9 donations
Amy Robin
Team member
This team raised $360 from 10 other donations.

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