Centuries ago, Indians of the Algonquin Nation, including the Assateagues, Pocomoke, Manokins, and Acquinticas, migrated seasonally between the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay. The patterns they established were later followed by the first European immigrants, with fishing, farming, and timbering as the principal activities. These patterns are deeply imprinted on the land and can still be seen in relatively undisturbed settings along the trail, continuing a tradition of travel for discovery on the Lower Eastern Shore. In 1993, the route was designated by the U.S. Department of the Interior as Maryland's first National Recreation Trail.