In 1977, Congress authorized a study to determine the feasibility and desirability of constructing a Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail extending between the Continental Divide in Glacier National Park and the Pacific Ocean beach of Olympic National Park and designating it a unit of the National Trails System~ The study, initiated in 1978, was conducted jointly by the National Park Service and U. S. Forest Service. Ideas were obtained from various individuals, groups, and agencies where the route might best be located since no specific route was defined in the legislation authorizing the study. From the route ideas suggested, four alternatives were identified. for analysis: (1) the most scenic route, (2) the least costly rout:e, (3) the route having the minimum environmental impact, and (4) no trail.