Nearly three decades after its inception, the need for the RTP has only intensified as trail development accelerates nationally. The country has increased its number of rail-trails from around 500 to more than 2,200.

In Illinois, a good portion of what remains is found almost exclusively along the railroad corridors that crisscross swaths of intensely farmed, highly prized agricultural land.

For nearly three decades, Transportation Alternatives (TA) has been the largest source of federal funding for trails and active transportation, providing more than $15 billion for more than 36,000 projects.

Explore the Rails to Trails Conservancy movement and how it transformed American communities and enhanced active lifestyles from 2010-2020.

This year, America and the rail-trail movement saw giant leaps, and small-but-no-less-important bounds, that have helped to achieve RTC’s goal of connecting the country by trail like never before.

Explore insights in the Q&A With Ryan Chao, discussing the importance of trails as vital community assets for all.

The 43-mile Longleaf Trace takes trail users from Prentiss to Hattiesburg, connecting through tunnels, over bridges and wetlands.

This is what Illinois’ Route 66 Trail is working to achieve: a long-distance trail from Chicago to St. Louis; an opportunity to revitalize communities and experience Route 66 as never before.

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