Along its total distance, the NCT traverses more than 150 public land units, including parks, forests, scenic attractions, wildlife refuges, game areas, and historic sites.

The trail begins at Lake Sakakawea State Park in Mercer County and heads generally to the east, soon reaching Audubon National Wildlife Refuge.

It walks alongside most of the 73-mile-long (117 km) McClusky Canal and traverses Lone Tree Wildlife Management Area (North Dakota's largest).

[25] Northeast of Frazee, the trail spends more than 160 miles (257 km) in a succession of mostly contiguous public lands that include a variety of state and federal parks, forests, and wildlife refuges.

Shortly after exiting Minnesota, the NCT briefly winds back across the state line for about two miles (3.2 km) then remains in Wisconsin.

The trail traverses several locally-protected wetland and forest districts, and passes through Pattison State Park followed by Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway.

[29] Near the Michigan border, the NCT briefly encounters the shore of Lake Superior at Saxon Harbor County Park, then joins a rural road to a remote crossing of the Montreal River at the state line.

The trail turns inland through remote national forest lands for more than 150 miles (240 km), passing Lake of the Clouds.

The trail then passes through Grand Marais and walks alongside Lake Superior for about another 20 miles (32 km) through local forest districts.

[32] The NCT reaches the large and remote Tahquamenon Falls State Park, and then heads into another segment of Hiawatha National Forest and some more waking along the lakeshore.

[34] After the bridge, the NCT walks through Mackinaw City and continues through Wilderness State Park and various locally-protected forest districts.

[36] The trail proceeds through several small towns in Hillsdale County, briefly follows the state line via a farm road just south of Waldron, and then crosses the border into Ohio.

[38][39] After entering Ohio, the NCT passes through Albion and West Unity, then temporarily joins multiple segments of the Wabash Cannonball Trail through Wauseon, Whitehouse, and Waterville.

[42] Still heading south, the trail walks through St. Marys, follows a long stretch of the former Miami and Erie Canal, and passes through Lake Loramie State Park.

The hiker then proceeds through extensive urban areas in Dayton, the biggest city to be found on the North Country Trail.

At Milford, the NCT switches to suburban streets and rural roads though various undeveloped districts, reaching East Fork State Park.

[42] Now trending to the north, the NCT walks alongside Senecaville Lake and then enjoys a lengthy hike through Salt Fork State Park.

Next is McConnells Mill State Park, where the NCT joins the preexisting Slippery Rock Gorge Trail,[44][45] followed by Moraine State Park, where it joins the preexisting Glacier Ridge Trail for about the next 15 miles (24 km) to Jennings Environmental Education Center.

[48] Near the New York Border, the NCT enters the northern segment of Allegheny National Recreation Area and uses a portion of the Tracy Ridge Hiking Trail System to walk alongside the reservoir for an extended distance.

[52][53] North of the state park, the trail utilizes a combination of rural roads and footpaths through undeveloped areas in southwestern New York, and uses a drainage tunnel under I-86 near Almond Lake.

Now trending to the east, the trail utilizes towpaths associated with the Erie Canal for several miles and then walks through Rome, with a visit to Fort Stanwix National Monument.

[58] From west to east, the additional Buckeye Trail towns include: Western terminus: Lake Sakakawea State Park, North Dakota North Dakota Minnesota Wisconsin Michigan Ohio Pennsylvania New York Vermont Eastern terminus: Appalachian Trail/Long Trail at Maine Junction, Vermont