Skip to content

Focus Term: Tourism and Economic Development


Blog
From Dream to National Treasure: The Great American Rail-Trail
May 07, 2019

The Great American Rail-Trail aims to create a multiuse trail across the country, separated from roads for more than 3,700 miles.

When complete, the Great American Rail-Trail will span more than 3,700 miles across 12 states and the District of Columbia. | Illustration by Anderson Design Group
Blog
16 Historic Highlights Along the Route of the Great American Rail-Trail
May 07, 2019

16 Historic Highlights Along the Route of the Great American Rail-Trail. Rail-trails are the perfect way for us to connect to each other, our communities and our cultural heritage. Unique in makeup and geography, each trail that’s hosting the 3,700-miles-plus preferred route of the Great American Rail-Trail has many stories to tell—some as old as, or far older than, our country itself. Both well known and lesser known, the histories found along the route demonstrate why the “Great American” is a true national treasure.

Pony Express station at the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center | Photo courtesy Bureau of Land Management | CC by 2.0
Blog
New York’s Warren County Bikeway
April 15, 2019

The Warren County Bikeway runs 10 miles between Glens Falls and Lake George, about an hour’s drive north of Albany.

Warren County Bikeway | Photo courtesy Eric Pfau
Blog
Illinois’ Hennepin Canal Parkway
March 10, 2019

Now, with its 112-year history, the Hennepin Canal Parkway seems a natural for its latest chapter—as a “gateway trail” in the nearly 4,000-mile Great American Rail-Trail, a cross-country route planned by Rails to Trails Conservancy (RTC) to stretch across the United States, from Washington, D.C., to Washington State.

Lift bridge, Hennepin Canal, night view | Courtesy of Hennepin Hundred
Blog
Developing Trail in Lincoln Celebrates Nebraska’s Tallgrass Prairie Legacy
February 12, 2019

Welcome to Nebraska’s tallgrass prairie, a rapidly disappearing ecosystem that Nebraskans are racing to preserve—and they hope to do just that with a new corridor and trail: the Prairie Corridor on Haines Branch.

Photo courtesy Prairie Corridor Foundation
Blog
Alaska’s Tony Knowles Coastal Trail
January 14, 2019

With views of the rugged Chugach Mountains and tidal inlets, Alaska’s Tony Knowles Coastal Trail offers a breathtaking experience unlike any other rail-trail in the country. Learn more in our Trail of the Month feature.

Tony Knowles Coastal Trail | Photo by Jody O. Photos, courtesy Visit Anchorage
Blog
Eight Critical Wins for TrailNation in 2018
December 04, 2018

Here is a spotlight on some of the critical TrailNation project advances we made in 2018—and how they are bringing to life our vision of trails at the heart of healthy, thriving communities.

Baltimore, Maryland | Photo by Side A Photography
Blog
Arkansas’ Southwest Trail
November 28, 2018

The Natural State’s newest rail-trail venture—the Southwest Trail—could bring both national attention and important local benefits.

A view of the Junction Bridge from La Petite Roche Plaza along the Arkansas River Trail, part of the Southwest Trail | Photo by Scott Stark
Blog
Protecting Trails in 2018: Five Ways We Mobilized in Communities This Year
November 14, 2018

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) and the national trail community put itself on the front lines to protect and defend trails in 2018. Here are five ways we mobilized in communities this year.

Baltimore, Maryland | Photo by Side A Photography
Blog
Ohio’s Year of the Trails: Three Major Trail Developments in the Buckeye State
November 13, 2018

It’s officially the Year of the Trails in Ohio, and the Buckeye State is building significant momentum on trail projects, from Cleveland to Cincinnati and beyond.

Ohio to Erie Trail | Photo by Eric Oberg, courtesy RTC