Posts by Amy Kapp

History Along the Great American Rail-Trail: A Kick-Off With the Creators

Posted 06/14/21 by Amy Kapp in America's Trails | Tagged with Great American Rail-Trail, History Happened Here, Trail Destinations, TrailNation

Capital Crescent Trail in Washington, D.C. | Photo by Jon Lowenstein

In 2019, TrailLink.com™, RTC’s national trail-finder website, embarked on an ambitious historical exploration of the developing Great American Rail-Trail, with a goal to shine a light on the people, landmarks and innovations that encapsulate this iconic 3,700-mile route between Washington, D.C., and Washington State.

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Capital Crescent Trail in Washington, D.C. | Photo by Jon Lowenstein

History Along the Great American Rail-Trail: A Kick-Off With the Creators

Posted 06/14/21 by Amy Kapp in America's Trails | Tagged with Great American Rail-Trail, History Happened Here, Trail Destinations, TrailNation

In 2019, TrailLink.com™, RTC’s national trail-finder website, embarked on an ambitious historical exploration of the developing Great American Rail-Trail, with a goal to shine a light on the people, landmarks and innovations that encapsulate this iconic 3,700-mile route between Washington, D.C., and Washington State.

Wisconsin's Elroy-Sparta State Trail | Photo by Eric Reischl Photography

Top 10 Trails in Wisconsin

Posted 03/04/21 by Amy Kapp in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Route of the Badger, Top10, Trail Destinations, TrailNation

With more than 101 rail-trails spanning nearly 2,000 miles, 25,000 miles of snowmobiling routes, and a national scenic trail that traverses 1,000 miles of glaciated terrain, Wisconsin is clearly a place where the outdoors reign supreme. Here are just 10 of our favorite Badger State trails.

Pennsylvania's Trout Island Trail | Photo by TrailLink user vicki1960

Winter “Share the Trail” Etiquette and Safety Tips

Posted 02/01/21 by Amy Kapp in Trail Use, America's Trails | Tagged with Encouraging Trail Use, How-to, Motorized Use, Trail Etiquette, Trail Use Tips, Winter Uses

We chatted with some of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s most knowledgeable winter trail afficionados to find out how we can all “Share the Trail” together safely—while still gleaning the best that winter has to offer on America’s trails.

Along the Illinois Prairie Path in Warrenville | Photo by Beverly Horne/Daily Herald/dailyherald.com

American Icons: Rail-Trails That Helped Shape the National Landscape

Posted 01/22/21 by Amy Kapp in Policy, America's Trails, Building Trails | Tagged with Featured Magazine Articles, Federal, History Happened Here, Illinois

Over the last 60 years, rail-trails have gone from a quiet idea to pillars of America’s social, health, economic, environmental and transportation landscapes—with more than 2,200 rail-trails today encompassing some 24,000+ miles across the United States. Here, as Rails-to-Trails Conservancy celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, we take a closer look at some of the country’s earliest rail-trails, and how they helped inspire and build a nationwide movement.

Great Allegheny Passage (gaptrail.org) | Photo by Milo Bateman

Top 10 Trails in Pennsylvania

Posted 01/08/21 by Amy Kapp in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Circuit Trails, IHTC, Pennsylvania, Top10, Trail Destinations, TrailNation

Check out RTC's list of Pennsylvania's top 10 trail, which travel through major metropolitan areas, by some of America’s most treasured historical and cultural sites, and through the breathtaking wilderness and viewscapes that make the state a premier outdoor destination.

Photo by India Kea

Looking Back, With Gratitude, on a Year of Challenges and Triumphs for Trails

Posted 12/23/20 by Amy Kapp, Paola Tejada Lalinde in America's Trails, Success Stories, Policy, Building Trails | Tagged with Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, BATC, Best Of, Capital Trails Coalition, Caracara, COVID-19, Federal, Funding, Great American Rail-Trail, IHTC, Route of the Badger, RTC in Action, Trail Moments, TrailNation, Why Use Trails?

As 2020 draws to a close—a year of extreme changes and challenges—it is with incredible appreciation that we reflect on the collective impact of our movement across the country.

Photo by Hunter Franklin, courtesy Facebook.com/dollsheadtrail

Five Creepy Cool Trailside Attractions

Posted 10/28/20 by Amy Kapp in America's Trails | Tagged with COVID-19, District Of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, History Happened Here, Maryland, Ohio, Trail Destinations

The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy editorial team really loves Halloween. And while this year may not see the normal amount of costume- and candy-filled events due to safety measures surrounding COVID-19—we still thought we’d present this list of some of our favorite creepy trailside attractions for some much-needed levity (no pun intended?) and fun!

Doll’s Head Trail in DeKalb County’s Constitution Lakes Park, Atlanta, Georgia | Photo by Marcus O. Bst | CC BY 2.0 GENERIC

Atlanta’s Doll’s Head Trail Is an Eerily Cool Trailside Attraction—With a Great Cause

Posted 10/27/20 by Amy Kapp in America's Trails | Tagged with Georgia, Maintenance and Volunteers, Trail Destinations

It began as kind of a dark joke, all told, but the Doll’s Head Trail—a name that doesn’t quite sum up the 2.5-mile whimsical (and sometimes creepy) trail-turned-art exhibit tucked away in DeKalb, County’s Constitution Lakes Park in Atlanta, Georgia—has evolved into a regional and national attraction since its inception a decade ago.

Longeberger Basket Company former world headquarters along the T.J. Evans Panhandle Trail in Ohio | BY-NC-ND 2.0

America's Most Unique Trailside Attractions

Posted 07/27/20 by Amy Kapp in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, Tourism , Trail Destinations, Wild and Wonderful

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 28 strange and cool trailside attractions.

Wissahickon Trail in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Photo by Patrick Wittwer | CC by 2.0

Taking Care of Our Trails and Parks in the Midst of COVID-19

Posted 05/22/20 by Amy Kapp, Eric Oberg in America's Trails | Tagged with COVID-19, Maintenance and Volunteers, Trail Etiquette, Trail Moments, Trail Use Tips

As trails remain on the front lines in providing outdoor opportunities and mobility for Americans, managers continue to explore new ways to work with their communities to ensure positive experiences for record numbers of users in the face of limited maintenance resources, reduced staffing and curtailed volunteer activities.

Great Allegheny Passage just outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Photo by Milo Bateman

How the Great Allegheny Passage Transformed a Region

Posted 05/12/20 by Amy Kapp in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Connected Systems, Featured Magazine Articles, Great American Rail-Trail, Pennsylvania, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail Use Tips

The story of the GAP is one of vision, tenacity and transformation. But at the heart of it all, it is the story of what’s possible when people come together with a great idea.