RTC and its partners have defined the preferred route of the Great American Rail-Trail as more than 3,700 miles—with approximately 2,057 miles of existing trails (trails along the route that are built and maintained by dedicated teams of local staff and volunteers) and 1,696 miles of identified trail gaps.

View five leaf-peeping destinations along the Great American Rail-Tail, a 3,700-mile developing cross country trail.

The purpose of this table is to quickly give a general sense of the routine maintenance cost per mile of various types of multiuse trails in different regions of the United States.

Across the country, bridges are literally serving as gateways for communities to achieve critical strides in active transportation, conservation and economic development. Here, we take a look at 20 iconic bridges and trestles in the United States (in no particular order) that have played—or are playing—transformative connectivity roles in their regions.

The events of Fort Robinson, while seminal in the Northern Cheyenne’s quest for freedom and autonomy, were not a well-known history.

RTC embarked on a 12-month assessment of route options using its GIS database of more than 34,000 miles of existing trails nationwide.

Whether the conditions are challenging, or you luck out and hit these trails in Nebraska on a pleasant day, they’re worth checking out!

In Laurel Hill Cemetery just outside the town of Neligh, Nebraska, stands a gravestone. Here lies White Buffalo Girl.

This report, Great American Rail-Trail Route Assessment, was originally published by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) in May 2019. This updated version was published in May 2021.