Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail Park

Address: Route from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, USA (54 miles historic march route)

Website: https://www.nps.gov/seso/index.htm

Hours: Trail open year-round (individual sites have variable hours)

Admission: Free (national historic trail; some sites along route may have fees)

The Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail commemorates the 1965 voting rights marches in Alabama and follows the roughly 54-mile route between Selma and Montgomery. It is designated as a National Historic Trail and preserves sites, road segments and interpretive markers associated with the marches.

Along the route are several preserved or interpreted sites including the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, commemorative markers, and locations in Lowndes County where marchers passed through rural communities. The trail directs visitors to the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery, the end point of the 1965 march.

The trail was created to recognize and interpret the events of 1965 when civil rights activists led mass marches for voting rights; those events contributed to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The designation as a National Historic Trail provides federal recognition and supports preservation and interpretation efforts along the route.

The trail runs across central Alabama from Selma eastward to Montgomery, following roads and segments that preserve the historical path taken by marchers in 1965.

• Length: Covers roughly 54 miles following the route of the 1965 civil rights marches from Selma to the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery.
• Key site: Contains the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, a focal site of the 1965 events and a primary historic viewpoint for visitors.

What to See#

• Edmund Pettus Bridge: The bridge in Selma that was the site of the March 7, 1965 confrontation and is marked as the trail’s starting point in Selma.
• Lowndes County route segments: A series of interpretive markers and preserved route segments running through rural Lowndes County that trace the march route.
• Montgomery terminus: The Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery, the trail’s terminus and the site of the march’s final procession and public gatherings.

The trail runs between Selma and Montgomery, Alabama, along US Hwy 80 and local roads. Selma and Montgomery are both served by regional airports and are connected by driving routes; many visitors sample sections by car or guided tour.

• Walk or drive sections rather than attempting the entire route unless prepared-the 54-mile march is best experienced in stages.
• Visit the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute in Selma and the Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery for complementary context.
• March anniversary events (especially March 21) are crowded but powerful-book lodging early.