The modern idea to create a trail around Lake Baikal was born – as was appropriate – on the shores of Baikal itself. At the time, the project 'Bed and Breakfast and Baikal' was running under the initiative of ROLL, a part of the US Agency for International Development (US AID). Before then, the idea of creating a path around Baikal had been touted on more than one occasion. Oleg Kirillovich Gusev in particular had talked publicly about this. Gusev was a famous writer, photographer, and scientist, who worked for more than thirty years in the Barguzinskii National Park. He was also the initiator behind the creation of the Baikal-Lenskii National Park.