Today, the 13.58-mile Thermal Belt Rail Trail lies where the old Southern Railroad, and later the Thermal Belt Railway, once ran. The trail has been a boon for Rutherford County on a number of levels.

With a newly opened extension of the MCT Goshen Trail, travelers can now also access neighboring St. Clair County by trail for the first time. Providing even more transit options for locals, many of St. Clair County’s trails are being developed to intertwine with MetroLink, the region’s light rail system.

In the throes of peak leaf season, the stewards of New York’s Ashokan Rail Trail assembled at the Woodstock Dike Trailhead because they rightly suspected that trail users would overflow the first of the three parking lots to open.

New England in autumn is nature’s spectator sport, and a special place to view its riotous colors is the Nashua River Rail Trail, spanning just over 12 miles in Massachusetts and spilling into New Hampshire.

The Grand Canyon Greenway Trail totals 13 miles of paved pathway for biking and walking, providing access to numerous scenic viewpoints and attractions in the park.

Michigan’s Falling Waters Trail is a community connector, linking the vibrant City of Jackson to the picturesque Village of Concord.

All 43.6 miles of the Tanglefoot Trail opened at once, becoming the longest rail-trail in the state, and connecting these communities.

The Palatka-to-Lake Butler State Trail offers a slice of quiet paradise, journeying more than 25 miles to Keystone Heights through well-canopied forests, pine flatwoods, picturesque countryside and stands of showy wild azalea (which the locals call “pinksters”).

A momentary pause on the Platte River Trail might yield a glimpse of a pronghorn antelope or mule deer darting through the underbrush, or an eagle or osprey searching for a meal in the river.

Depending on who you ask, the Cedar Valley Nature Trail is either 52 miles long (the original length) or about 67 miles thanks to extension projects in Linn County.