Great American Rail-Trail Route Assessment 2026
Executive Summary
THE GREAT AMERICAN RAIL-TRAIL VISION
Imagine pedaling across the entire country on a safe, seamless and scenic pathway—or walking a local trail that connects you to historic routes from across the country. You’re enthralled in the experience of exploring America’s heritage—its potential, its beauty and bounty, its people and places. Consider the intimacy of taking in all the country has to offer from the most personal vantage point: the trail.
Spanning more than 3,700 miles, the Great American Rail-Trail promises an all-new American experience. The trail travels through 12 states and the District of Columbia, connecting trail users and communities from Washington to Washington. As the first cross-country trail of its kind, the “Great American” will be hosted primarily by rail-trails—public paths created from former railroad corridors—as well as other multiuse trails, offering a route across the nation that is completely separated from vehicle traffic. Upon its completion, the Great American will serve more than 50 million people within 50 miles of its route, as well as the millions from across the country and the world who will explore America’s diverse places via the trail.
The potential for a trail of this magnitude has been on Rails to Trails Conservancy’s radar since the early days of RTC four decades ago, when co-founder David Burwell first dreamed of a trail for the nation. It would not be long before this dream would transform into vision, as RTC began to track rail-trail development in the 1980s, and the skeleton for a cross-country trail began to take shape. While the team at RTC “always knew” the potential for this trail, it also knew the significant undertaking and commitment required to get it done, thus setting two criteria for determining the trail’s potential: a viable route that was more than 50% complete, and a pathway across the west.
Washington, D.C.—as the nation’s capital and the home to RTC’s national headquarters—had always been earmarked as the eastern terminus for a cross-country trail. In 2017, preliminary GIS analyses revealed multiple potential cross-country route options between Washington, D.C., and Washington State that were more than 50% complete. It was then that RTC knew the Great American Rail-Trail had the potential to become reality. Since then, the team at RTC has met with hundreds of trail partners along the preferred route for the trail as well as state agencies to align this vision with state and local trail priorities.
The Great American Rail-Trail marks RTC’s most ambitious trail project to date and the single greatest trail project in the history of the country; its future is possible thanks to the hard work of the local trails community and countless volunteers, as well as the support and enthusiasm of each of the states it crosses.
THE “GREAT AMERICAN” IMPACT
Now—and at an even grander scale when complete—the Great American Rail-Trail will magnify the economic, social and community benefits that trails have delivered to people and places for decades. For example, a study produced by RTC in 2022 found that the Great American Rail-Trail has the potential to generate an estimated $229.4 million annually in new visitor spending as a result of outdoor tourism and local business patronage. As a large-scale, cross-country trail network, the Great American has the potential to generate millions of new dollars a year for communities along its route by increasing trail connectivity between places, catalyzing new investment in trailside businesses and commercial opportunities, and enhancing tourism and outdoor recreation, which, according to a report by the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, is one of the fastest growing industries in the country and a major economic driver.
As new trails and connecting corridors are developed, communities along the Great American route will also gain safer walking and biking access to the places they want to go—including jobs, public transportation and shopping centers. All who enjoy the Great American will have better access to the outdoors as the trail intersects green space within communities and connects to public lands along the route.
THE PREFERRED ROUTE OF THE “GREAT AMERICAN”
With RTC’s commitment to complete the Great American Rail-Trail, efforts have focused on working with trail partners and states to confirm a route across the country that would provide the highest-quality experience for all types of trail users—from bicyclists to hikers and everyone in between.
To this end, RTC embarked on a 12-month assessment of route options using its GIS database of more than 34,000 miles of existing, multiuse trails nationwide, and analyzing more than 300 state and local trail plans to identify planned future trails. RTC also met and worked with more than 200 local trail partners and more than 50 state agencies representing the trails along the route, shaping criteria to ensure safe, non-motorized travel on a route that is entirely walkable and bikeable.
These trail criteria specify that the Great American Rail-Trail be one contiguous route that is off-road and separated from vehicle traffic; include existing trails to the extent possible; be reasonably direct from Washington to Washington; be amenable to the state and local jurisdictions through which it will cross; and serve as a catalyst for local economic development, including providing services for long-distance travelers.
Through the assessment, RTC and its partners have defined the preferred route of the Great American Rail-Trail as more than 3,700 miles—with approximately 2,085 miles of existing trails (trails along the route that are built and maintained by dedicated teams of local staff and volunteers) and approximately 1,670 miles of identified trail gaps (sections of trail that still need to be developed).
Each trail gap along the route of the Great American Rail-Trail has one or more future trail options identified as possible trail connections. Many of these gaps and proposed future trails are already identified in public plans that have been adopted at the state and local levels. Insight from local trail partners and states has helped to identify the preferred alignment that best corresponds with their priorities, with the intention of maximizing existing trail momentum as the Great American Rail-Trail is connected across the country.
STATE-BY-STATE SNAPSHOT
WASHINGTON, D.C., AND MARYLAND
The trail route through Washington, D.C., and Maryland is the only section of the Great American Rail-Trail that is currently 100% complete. The route begins at the steps of the U.S. Capitol and picks up at the Capital Crescent Trail in Georgetown, which flows into the towpath of the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal National Historical Park. With the C&O stretching from Washington, D.C., to Cumberland, Maryland, the route then meets up with the Great Allegheny Passage (gaptrail.org).
PENNSYLVANIA
The route through Pennsylvania connects several existing trails and includes a gap of fewer than 10 miles between Pittsburgh and Coraopolis. By connecting the trail through Pittsburgh, the Great American Rail-Trail also connects to the Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition (IHTC), a 1,500-mile network of trails that is part of RTC’s TrailNation™ portfolio. The IHTC network will stretch across 51 counties in four states—Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio and New York—from the shores of Lake Erie to the confluence of the three rivers in Pittsburgh and on to the Ohio River and Appalachian foothills.
WEST VIRGINIA
Traveling through the Northern Panhandle and along the Ohio River, the Great American Rail-Trail’s path through West Virginia contains the least number of miles of any state across the route. As such, West Virginia has the smallest portion of trail to develop, with a 4.1-mile trail gap from the end of the Panhandle Trail in Weirton to the Market Street Bridge to cross the Ohio River into Steubenville, Ohio. Like Pennsylvania, the route through West Virginia is also along the Cleveland to Pittsburgh corridor of the proposed 1,500-mile IHTC trail network.
OHIO
Several iconic trails make up the route across Ohio, which is already more than 75% complete. The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail connects New Philadelphia to Cleveland, providing a rich history and unique experience along the way. Instead of following the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail all the way north to Cleveland, however, the Great American Rail-Trail will branch off at Clinton and head southwest on the Ohio to Erie Trail, which travels to Cincinnati through Columbus.
INDIANA
RTC met with Indiana state officials early in the Great American Rail-Trail process, recognizing that the route through Indiana would have a significant impact on the potential routes through its neighboring states. After analysis, two routes were presented: a shorter one across the north of the state and a longer diagonal one from Richmond, Indiana, toward the Chicago metropolitan area. State officials were excited about the potential of the Great American and asked RTC to consider including as many miles as possible in Indiana by using the longer diagonal route. To complete the preferred route through Indiana, about 89 miles of trail gaps will need to be addressed. With the state’s commitment to its Next Level Connections program—a $1 billion investment in infrastructure projects, including $180 million for trails—there is great progress being made across the state.
ILLINOIS
The route through Illinois incorporates most of the northern leg of the Grand Illinois Trail between Lansing, Illinois, and the Quad Cities. The iconic Illinois & Michigan Canal State Trail and Hennepin Canal Parkway make up almost 75% of the existing miles that the Great American Rail-Trail will use to cross the state. Strategic investments will be required to develop just over 25 miles of trail gaps and fully connect the Great American across Illinois.
IOWA
The Great American Rail-Trail travels through Iowa from Davenport to Council Bluffs at the western end of the state. Iowa has a rich network of trails, and on-the-ground trail partners are critical to its thriving trail culture and the development of the Great American in the state. While there are currently more than 200 miles of trail gaps to develop, support for the Great American is strong across Iowa, which branded itself as the “World Capital of Trails” in 2024.
NEBRASKA
The Great American Rail-Trail crosses into Nebraska on the iconic Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge before weaving through the urban areas of Omaha and Lincoln. The existing mileage of the Cowboy Recreation and Nature Trail (the “Cowboy Trail”) takes trail users almost 40% of the way across the total planned mileage for Nebraska, with more miles set for the trail’s construction in the near future. With over 289 miles of trail gaps to develop along the preferred route through Nebraska, completing the Cowboy Trail will go a long way toward making the Great American a reality.
WYOMING
Wyoming has the potential to be an incredible section of the Great American Rail-Trail, with its unique landscapes and outdoor recreation assets. However, because of Wyoming’s topography, any route through the state will require sizable grade increases at several locations. Currently, there are not significant miles of multiuse trail available to route a trail across the state. As a result, Wyoming has more trail gaps to develop—at just under 500 miles—than any other state along the Great American route. RTC reviewed mapping data, as well as various plans in Wyoming, identifying potential routes through the state that could present opportunities for the Great American. In addition, Wyoming’s Office of Outdoor Recreation has strong Outdoor Recreation Collaboratives that are poised to help the state realize its full potential along the Great American Rail-Trail.
MONTANA
The Great American Rail-Trail route through Montana will connect many of the state’s communities known for outdoor recreation assets—including Livingston, Bozeman, Three Forks, Butte and Missoula—which are all along the preferred Great American route. There are currently 323 miles of trail gaps to be developed in Montana, including an off-road 50-miles-plus multiuse trail option connecting Gardiner to Livingston in Park County. Montana received a significant grant in 2025 that will help escalate momentum for planning over 140 miles of trails along the Great American in the western part of the state.
IDAHO
The Great American Rail-Trail travels through the northern Panhandle of Idaho, primarily along developed rail-trails. Idaho has just one trail gap to complete, a connection from the city of Plummer to the Idaho–Washington state line. The state of Idaho and local officials will need to continue to work with landowners through the Lovell Valley to find an opportunity to complete the 10.5-mile connection between the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes and the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail.
WASHINGTON
The Washington section of the Great American Rail-Trail begins with the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail, which travels approximately 250 miles from the Idaho–Washington state line to the community of Cedar Falls. The Great American will continue west through King County and Seattle, crossing Puget Sound via ferry to Bainbridge Island. The burgeoning Sound to Olympics Trail and Olympic Discovery Trail will complete a trip from Puget Sound to the Pacific Ocean at the town of La Push on the Quileute Reservation.
OJECT SUCCESS SINCE LAUNCH
There are many ways to measure the success of a transformative project of the scale of the Great American Rail-Trail. New mileage added to the route is an important factor to consider, but there are dozens of ways to tell the story of the hard work being undertaken by RTC and our hundreds of partners working on this project across the country.
MILEAGE
More than 124 miles of trails have been added to the route since the project was launched in May 2019. That is an incredible success for the first years of a project of this scale. Hundreds of partners across the route, from state and local governments to regional nonprofits and advocacy groups, are helping to bring this vision to reality. Since the project’s launch, some highlights include:
- A long-awaited connection was made to complete a seamless transition between Iowa’s iconic Raccoon River Valley Trail and High Trestle Trail.
- The Old Yellowstone Trail in Powell County, Montana, was completed, adding more than 10 miles of trail linking Deer Lodge to Garrison.
- A 10-miles-plus gap was filled in the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail between Marengo and Ralston in Washington on a single section of route provided by a local landowner.
There are an additional 161 miles of trails in the development pipeline that should be added to the route over the next few years. Highlights include:
- More than 23 miles are in development along the Iowa River’s Edge Trail in Iowa, connecting about 7 miles of existing trail on both sides.
- Nebraska’s Game and Parks Commission will also be adding more than 25 new miles of trail along the Cowboy Recreation and Nature Trail, helping one of the longest rail-trail conversions in the country live up to its potential.
FUNDING WINS
Over $175 million in new funding has been contributed to projects along the Great American Rail-Trail since the project’s launch, including over $40 million in 2023, and another $40 million in 2024. This kind of funding success can be attributed to the value that people place on a project that can reach so many communities across the country and beyond. Highlights include:
- A U.S. Department of Transportation Bridge Reinvestment Program grant for $87.5 million to rebuild the Market Street Bridge over the Ohio River between West Virginia and Ohio, which will include an important bicycle and pedestrian element for trail users.
- A Next Level Trails grant—a statewide source of dedicated trail funding in Indiana—for over $2.9 million to complete a trail connection in northwest Indiana between the Veterans Memorial Trail and the Pennsy Greenway.
PLANNING EFFORTS
With over 1,600 miles of trail gaps across the Great American Rail-Trail, partners around the country are leading planning efforts to identify opportunities to fill these gaps. Montana and Washington State are two examples of states with creative, collaborative planning efforts underway.
Partners in Montana created the Parks to Passes project, an initiative of the various towns and four counties making up the Great American route across western Montana, to identify creative solutions to fill more than 157 miles of trail gaps between Butte and St. Regis.
A similar initiative is underway in western Washington State, where more than 20 partners are collaborating on the Puget Sound to Pacific (PS2P) project. The PS2P project aims to identify solutions to fill the remaining gaps in the trail network between Puget Sound and the western terminus of the Great American Rail-Trail in La Push, Washington.
These are only two examples of the large-scale regional efforts that would not be underway without the momentum of the Great American. There are countless other examples of localized planning efforts underway that are pushing the project forward. RTC hosts annual statewide stakeholder meetings, each attended by dozens of partners across the route, to help facilitate this collaboration.
RECONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE
When asked by the New York Times in 2024 when the Great American Rail-Trail will be finished, RTC’s Vice President of Communications Brandi Horton said, “The answer is never. It’s something that will always be evolving.” Trails require ongoing maintenance and reconstruction, and weather and climate-related surprises demand frequent attention.
As just one example, weeks before RTC officially launched the Great American effort in May 2019, the Lied Platte River Bridge in Nebraska was critically damaged due to flooding and debris, necessitating a major reconstruction effort. Thankfully, the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District quickly took up the effort, reopening the bridge in 2021.
While weather and climate-related events cannot always be planned for, RTC continues to work with its partners on ongoing maintenance plans to emphasize the importance of regular trail upkeep that can lower the need for major reconstruction efforts.
TRAIL USE AND TOURISM
The Great American Rail-Trail was established for people to enjoy, whether embarking on evening walks with their families or setting out on long-distance, cross-country endeavors. Already, people are taking up the challenge.
In 2020, Warrior Expeditions reached out to RTC about the nonprofit’s annual Warrior Bike Program. The program helps veterans transition from their wartime experiences through long-distance outdoor expeditions. Previously, Warrior Expeditions was following an entirely on-road route for cross-country journeys, but the organization wanted to give its veterans a safer, calmer experience on trails. In 2024, RTC and Warrior Expeditions launched the fourth annual Warrior Bike along the Great American.
Dozens of people have reached out to RTC about embarking on their own adventures along the route, and undoubtedly many more have gone about it on their own. Towns along the route have reported seeing long-distance trail users in greater numbers since the launch of the Great American. The resulting trail tourism can bring new life to many of these small towns, a fact demonstrated in an independent economic analysis of the Great American Rail-Trail conducted in May 2022.
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