Posts by Laura Stark

Louisiana’s Tammany Trace

Posted 08/16/17 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Community Events, Encouraging Trail Use, History Happened Here, Louisiana, Tourism , Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Walkability and Bikeability

The trail winds through St. Tammany Parish towns and green spaces | Courtesy LouisianaNorthshore.com

The Tammany Trace is a Southern belle nestled in the pristine natural surroundings of the Northshore across a vast lake from vibrant New Orleans. Spanning 27 miles, the paved pathway crosses a number of small creeks and bayous on more than two dozen bridges, connecting five quaint towns—Covington, Abita Springs, Mandeville, Lacombe and Slidell—each with their own unique character and appeal.

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The bike- and pedestrian-friendly Route 52 bridge plays a key role in the region’s growing trail network. | Photo courtesy South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization

New Jersey’s Cape May County Trail Network

Posted 08/01/17 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Connected Systems, District Of Columbia, Featured Magazine Articles, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Trail Destinations

South New Jersey’s Cape May County offers an outdoor recreation mecca within easy driving distance of Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

Photo courtesy The Shared Experience | CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Massachusetts’ Cape Cod Rail Trail

Posted 07/06/17 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, History Happened Here, Massachusetts, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Nestled in an iconic vacation destination about 75 miles down the coast from Boston, the flavor of the Cape Cod Rail Trail is pure summertime: sun-warmed beaches, sparkling waves, refreshing swimming holes and state park campsites nestled among the pines and oaks.

Park Linéaire le P’tit Train du Nord | Photo courtesy Jean-Pierre Lavoie | CC BY 2.0

A View From … The Great Trail in Canada

Posted 06/28/17 by Laura Stark in Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, Canada, Connected Systems, Featured Magazine Articles, Tourism , Trail Destinations

It’s a fitting way for Canada to celebrate its 150th birthday: In 2017, The Great Trail will be fully connected, enabling people to cross the country on a series of greenways, waterways and on-road routes to experience Canada’s rugged wilderness, rural beauty, historical attractions, vibrant cities and charming small towns up close.

View of Potomac River along Capital Crescent Trail | Photo by Milo Bateman

Maryland and Washington, D.C.’s Capital Crescent Trail

Posted 06/13/17 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, District Of Columbia, History Happened Here, Maryland, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Forming an emerald arc around western portion of the District of Columbia, the Capital Crescent Trail connects Washington to its Maryland suburbs. The pathway is so lushly wooded that, at times, it might be easy to forget the thrum of the nation’s capital lies just over the trees.

Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail | Photo by Elizabeth Bean Photography

California’s Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail

Posted 05/12/17 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, California, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Summer excursions don’t come much better than this: 18 miles of smooth, paved trail ringside to California’s stunning Monterey Bay, in some places so close to water’s edge that waves occasionally wash over it. The Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail is truly immersed in its seaside environment, providing access to sandy beaches, fishing piers and marinas bustling with small boats bright white against the deep blue water.

The trail offers unbeatable views of the Pittsburgh skyline | Photo by Kelly Carter, courtesy Friends of the Riverfront

Pennsylvania’s Three Rivers Heritage Trail

Posted 04/07/17 by Laura Stark in Trail Use, America's Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, Local Organizing, Pennsylvania, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Spiraling outward from downtown Pittsburgh, the 24-mile Three Rivers Heritage Trail traces the banks of three waterways—the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio—that lifted the city to prominence as America’s industrial powerhouse. The development of this paved pathway, which began more than 25 years ago, sparked a biking revolution that is continuing to turn the famed “Steel City” into “Wheel City.”

Sacagawea statue | Photo courtesy Charles Dawley | CC by 2.0

10 Trails Named After Influential Women

Posted 03/08/17 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Success Stories | Tagged with Best Of, History Happened Here, Most Essential

For Women’s History Month, we honor the visionary women who have made extraordinary impacts in their own communities and for the nation. In some cases, their legacy lives on in the names of trails that are used and loved by communities. Here are just 10 to inspire you.

Bill and Pam Metzger (second from left and right) on their wedding day in June 1997 along the Montour Trail in Pennsylvania | Photo courtesy Bill Metzger

A Trail Life Well Lived—And Loved

Posted 02/13/17 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Featured Magazine Articles, Pennsylvania, Success Stories

In this blog posted in honor of Valentine's Day, the co-creator of the legendary Great Allegheny Passage and Montour Trail talks about some of his fondest memories of the two pathways—including the day he got married!

View of the Brays Bayou Greenway Trail in Hermann Park. | Courtesy Bob Bohmer Photography

Texas’ Brays Bayou Greenway Trail

Posted 02/03/17 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Texas, Tourism , Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

While not generally known for its greenspace, Houston—the country’s fourth most populated city—is onto something big. Something Texas-sized big: the Bayou Greenways 2020 project, which aims to complete a 150-mile network of trails along the city’s major waterways in just a few year’s time. Houston is home to seven lengthy bayous and two creeks (engendering the fitting nickname of the Bayou City) stretching from the city’s western boundary to Galveston Bay. The longest of these, the Brays Bayou, is the close companion of the Brays Bayou Greenway Trail, which spans more than 30 miles, connecting several parks and running just a couple blocks north of NRG Stadium, where this year’s Super Bowl is taking place.

In Windham, the Hop River Trail meets the Air Line Trail on this bridge over the Willimantic River. | Courtesy Connecticut DOT-DEEP

Connecticut’s Hop River State Park Trail

Posted 01/19/17 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Connecticut, Tourism , Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

It’s hard to pick a favorite season to experience the Hop River State Park Trail, set amidst the dense forests of Eastern Connecticut. Sections of the 20-mile rail-trail dive through steep rock cuts that seep moisture, giving the feeling of air conditioning in summer and freezing into glistening ice falls in winter. Maples and oaks bring fiery autumn hues and, in the spring, trilliums and other wildflowers speckle the brush with color. Add three tunnels and a covered bridge and the trail’s picturesque backdrop is complete.