Skip to content

Focus Term: History Happened Here


Blog
Ace of Aces: WWII Pilot Don Gentile Commemorated Along the Dayton-Kettering Connector
April 17, 2026

Explore the life of Don Gentile, a highly decorated WWII fighter pilot known as the Ace of Aces. Discover his incredible story.

Left to right: Gen. Dwight Eisenhower awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) to Capt. Don Gentile (he was promoted posthumously to major) and fellow Eagle Squadron veteran Col. Don Blakeslee in April 1944. It was Gentile’s second DSC.
Blog
North Dakota’s Roughrider Trail: April 2026 Trail of the Month
April 07, 2026

Explore North Dakota’s Roughrider Trail, a scenic route rich in history and perfect for outdoor activities along the Missouri River.

North Dakota's Roughrider Trail | Photo courtesy North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department
Blog
Reflections at 40: Moments That Moved the Dial for America’s Rail-Trails
January 28, 2026

Celebrate 40 years of Rails to Trails Conservancy and reflect on the milestones that shaped the national trails movement.

Katy Trail Ribbon-Cutting | Photo courtesy Rails to Trails Conservancy
Blog
The Joyful Transformation of the American Landscape
January 28, 2026

Explore the transformation of the American landscape through trails movement and the founding of Rails to Trails Conservancy in 1986.

RTC' 40th Anniversary photo in Washington, DC
Blog
Trails Movement Wrapped: A Review of 2025’s Big Moments
December 22, 2025

Explore the 2025 big moments for the trails movement, highlighting wins, challenges, and community connections across America.

2025 Celebrate Trails Day trash clean up event in Union County, NJ | Photo by Upendra Sapkota
Blog
Remembering Heart Mountain
November 04, 2025

Explore what life was like at Wyoming’s Heart Mountain WWII Japanese American Confinement Site in 1942 through the memories of Sam Mihara.

Sam Mihara, a surviving incarceree of the Heart Mountain WWII Japanese American Confinement Site (as of 2025) | Courtesy Mihara Family Collection
Blog
“From Rails to Trails”: The Origin Story of America’s Beloved Pathways 
October 09, 2025

“From Rails to Trails” is a documentary by filmmaker Dan Protess that airs on PBS.org that explores the origins of America’s trails movement.

Marianne Fowler of Rails to Trails Conservancy, Co-Founder of RTC Peter Harnik, rail-trail advocate and author Karen-Lee Ryan, and current RTC President Ryan Chao | Photo by Ben Kolak
Blog
A Nebraska Legacy: Examining the Cowboy Trail’s Impact Across Three Decades
October 07, 2025

Michael and Pam Swanson and Ashley Schafer take in the view from the longest of 221 bridges along Cowboy Recreation and Nature Trail.

Trestle on Nebraska's Cowboy Trail | Photo by Jonathan Egan
Blog
Before Lewis and Clark, there was Moncacht-Apé
August 19, 2025

Around the late 1600s, Moncacht-Apé, a Native American explorer, allegedly crossed the continent a century before the famous Lewis and Clark.

Bicyclists on New York's Erie Canalway Trail | Photo courtesy Hudson River Valley Greenway
Blog
Idaho’s Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes: July 2025 Trail of the Month
July 10, 2025
Bicyclists approaching the Chatcolet Bridge on Idaho's Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes | Photo by Glenn Zinkus
Celebrate Trails Day is April 25, 2026. View events in all 50 states, DC & Puerto Rico