Team South is crossing BLM lands in the Chihuahuan desert of southern New Mexico today. When many people refer to "public lands," or the "public domain," they are thinking specifically of BLM lands. These lands are largely desert, rangeland, or arid steppes, and are more or less open to use. BLM lands support mining for all kinds of minerals, drilling for gas and oil, livestock grazing, hunting, whitewater rafting, caving, rockhounding, backcountry archeology, camping, OHV use, and all kinds of esoteric activities like dirt-sailing, rocket launching, and setting land speed records.

The BLM manages these lands for the long-term sustainability of the natural resources, and many areas are protected under the National Landscape Conservation System. But recreation on the majority of BLM lands is more or less up to the visitor-- you can camp where you like, build campfires, bring your dogs, and hike cross-country-- although all visitors are expected to leave no trace of their adventures & to enjoy themselves safely.

The Journey, or Trek, involved two groups of travelers: one starting north from the Mexican border and the second headed south from the Canadian. Their route lay entirely on public lands, a feat that has never been accomplished before. The trek began on July 31, 2002 and ended two months later when the two teams met in Wasatch-Cache National Forest near Salt Lake City, Utah on September 27.

Read about the trek, check out journal entries and photos, and browse our educational exhibits.