Best Of

AMERICA'S MOST UNIQUE TRAILSIDE ATTRACTIONS

Albert, the World's Largest Bull, along the T-Bone Trail in Iowa | Photo by Brandi Horton

For years, we’ve been hearing about those strange and extraordinary attractions that have made for classic road trips across the country. But what about trailside? Connecting some of the most diverse communities, landmarks and geography in America, trails are the perfect places to find the inspiring, the unique and—in some cases—the truly bizarre.

In that spirit, here’s our developing list of (currently) 28 of the most unique trailside attractions in America. We’ll be doing updates in the future—so let us know what we missed! Speaking of which, we may not have a giant rubber band ball ... but we do have Rocky! Enjoy.

(View this photo essay in article form on the TrailBlog.)

Story by Amy Kapp. Produced by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.

To view the slideshow and captions, click on the first image and scroll using the arrows.

Equine Gargoyles along the Indian Bend Wash Path in Arizona | Photo courtesy City of Scottsdale Cupid's Span along the Embarcadero and San Francisco Bay Trails in California | Photo by Dewet via Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0 Lupe the Mammoth along the Guadalupe River Trail in California | Photo by Richard Masoner via Flickr | CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Bigfoot cutouts along the Mineral Belt Trail in Colorado | Photo by Scott Stark Viking ship along the Illinois Prairie Path | Photo by Kyleschmitt via Wikipedia Commons | CC BY 3.0 Duke Ellington - Gennett Walk of Fame along the Cardinal Greenway in Indiana | Photo by Natasha Marco College Bound Garfield waving on the Sweetser Switch Trail in Indiana | Photo courtesy Sweetser Parks Board Albert, the World's Largest Bull, along the T-Bone Trail in Iowa | Photo by Brandi Horton World's Largest Wooden Nickel along the Iowa River Corridor Trail in Iowa | Photo by Kevin Belanger Mammoth Cave along the Mammoth Cave Railroad Bike & Hike Trail in Kentucky | Photo by Thomas J. Caldwell Historic flood lines on the Whites Ferry Store & Grill along the C&O Canal Towpath in Maryland | Photo by Neil Arnold Bridge of Flowers in Massachusetts | Photo by David Alexander Our Lady of the Rockies along the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail in Montana | Photo courtesy USDA Forest Service Pollyana Gateway along the Littleton Riverwalk in New Hampshire | Screen shot by Suzanne Matyas Gnome homes along the Columbia Trail in New Jersey | Photo by George Marinich Glass art at Ariel Foundation Park along the Heart of Ohio Trail | Photo by Eric Oberg Longaberger Basket Company former world headquarters along the T.J. Evans Panhandle Trail in Ohio | Photo by Adam Schweigert via Flickr | CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Scioto deer statue along the Scioto Greenway Trail in Ohio | Photo by Tom Ramsey Eco Earth Globe along the Riverfront Trail in Oregon | Photo by David Lebech Mill Ends Park, the World's Smallest Park, along the Waterfront Bike Path in Oregon | Photo by David Thulmer via Flickr | CC BY 2.0 Land Buoy along the Delaware River Trail in Pennsylvania | Photo by Douglas Bovitt, courtesy Delaware River Waterfront Corporation Monument to Cacique Mabodamaca along the Túnel de Guajataca in Puerto Rico | Photo by Jorge A. Borrelli Cooper-Young Trestle in Memphis, Tennessee | Photo by Jill Turman, courtesy Urban Art Commission Gus S. Wortham Memorial Foundation along the Buffalo Bayou Trail in Texas | Photo by TrailLink user quinnpenny Chinese Arch at the Golden Spike National Historical Park | Photo by Victor Solanoy via Flickr | CC BY 2.0 The Childhood Express along the Spokane River Centennial State Park in Washington | Photo by Barbara Richey Seattle gum wall along the Elliott Bay Trail in Washington | Photo by marroyo12 via Flickr | CC BY 2.0 Rocky Balboa statue along the MLK Drive Trail in Philadelphia | Photo courtesy Eva Garcia

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Rails to Trails magazine is dedicated to exploring America’s remarkable rail-trails and trail-networks, with a focus on the opportunities they provide and the impact they have in communities nationwide.

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