South New Jersey’s Cape May County offers an outdoor recreation mecca within easy driving distance of Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

It’s a fitting way for Canada to celebrate its 150th birthday: In 2017, The Great Trail will be fully connected, enabling people to cross the country on a series of greenways, waterways and on-road routes to experience Canada’s rugged wilderness, rural beauty, historical attractions, vibrant cities and charming small towns up close.

The developing Industrial Heartland Trails Network is a collection of nearly three dozen pathways featuring scenic wilderness, dramatic railroad tunnels and trestles, welcoming trail towns and historical sites from the birthplace of America’s Industrial Revolution.

The September 11th National Memorial Trail (NMT) is a multi-use circuit born of many different kinds of connections—among trail advocates, communities, existing trails and even moments in history.

Here are 10 more game-changing rail-trails (in no particular order) that have had an impact, as destinations, recreation magnets, economic drivers or transportation connectors, in the U.S.

As one of the world’s longest networks of multiuse trails, the Trans Canada Trail connects nearly 500 individual trails across the country, building a magnificent piece of Canadian heritage.

Sun, sea, and sandy beaches: Florida’s Sanibel Island is a summer sanctuary. Better yet, the island’s extensive shared-use path system—totaling 24 paved miles—provides access to it all.

One of the cornerstones of Lincoln’s network, the MoPac Trail (consisting of the seamlessly connected West and East segments) begins at the University of Nebraska campus in the heart of the city and stretches eastward 27 miles, just shy of Omaha’s doorstep.

Already in place is the 13.4-mile Lower Las Vegas Wash Trail, which comprises the trail network’s eastern arc and is always a sure bet with beautiful parks, desert landscapes and vistas of the rugged mountains that ring the valley.

Both the Caperton and the pair of Mon River Trails on either side of Morgantown follow a branch of the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Railroad, which primarily carried coal, coke, sand and limestone between the mines of Fairmont and the industrial city of Pittsburgh.