In 2023, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Awarded 30 Trail Grants Totaling $348,000 to Support Equitable Trail Development and Community Programs.

Here we spotlight a handful of the exciting new rail-trails that opened in 2023.

The 23-mile paved Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail runs through Gulf State Park and the surrounding cities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.

The first step of the Manitou Incline begins at 6,600 feet above sea level, and it gains almost 2,000 feet in just under a mile. The average grade for the trail is 45% and is as steep as 68% in places.

Montana’s Silver Bow Creek Greenway Trail (SBCGT) parallels its namesake creek, which provides habitat to bald eagles and yellow-headed blackbirds, sandhill cranes and waterfowl.

We gathered up a handful of Trail Moment highlights—we hope they keep you inspired to use trails more often and to keep making #TrailMoments all year long!

We thrive on these adventures—appreciating the unknown, the unexpected and the unique individuals we meet along the way. Being on our bicycles provides us with a sense of freedom and a way to stay attuned to the present moment.

The Sacramento River Rail Trail and its sister trail to the south, the Sacramento River Trail, together form a 21-mile major artery to a 200-miles-plus trail system of mostly dirt (but some paved) routes that can take users from Redding, a major urban area, into open areas of wilderness.

The dirt and crushed limestone crunch beneath my step as I continue my walk in the woods. I pause briefly to reflect on why I am here in the first place.

I made the impulsive decision to embark on a journey to walk across the country solo and be the first Deaf man in America to do so.