Posts by Laura Stark

A Sneak Peek from Rails-to-Trails’ 2019 Pennsylvania Rail-Trails Guidebook

Posted 03/13/19 by Amy Kapp, Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Great American Rail-Trail, Hall of Fame, Pennsylvania, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations

Pennsylvania's Three Rivers Heritage Trail | Photo by Milo Bateman

As a native Pennsylvanian, editing our new Rail-Trails: Pennsylvania Guidebook was a project close to my heart. Last summer, nearly two dozen staff members from Rails-to-Trails Conservancy went out to ride the state’s many wonderful trails to verify map data and waypoints (like parking and restrooms), and write detailed descriptions from our firsthand experiences.

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Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail in Washington | Photo by TrailLink user biggerdawg

A View From … The Great American Rail-Trail

Posted 01/23/19 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Building Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Connected Systems, District Of Columbia, Featured Magazine Articles, Great American Rail-Trail, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, TrailNation, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming

Imagine what’s possible with a trail that connects the country. Imagine ... pedaling across the entire country on a safe, seamless and scenic pathway—or walking a local trail that connects along historic routes. That vision will become a reality thanks to the Great American Rail-Trail, a signature project of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) and the organization’s most ambitious TrailNation™ project yet.

Tony Knowles Coastal Trail | Photo by Jody O. Photos, courtesy Visit Anchorage

Alaska’s Tony Knowles Coastal Trail

Posted 01/15/19 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Alaska, Best Of, Biking, Demand for Trails, Encouraging Trail Use, Heritage and Restoration, History Happened Here, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Transportation and Health, Walkability and Bikeability, Wild and Wonderful, Winter Uses

With views of the rugged Chugach Mountains and tidal inlets, Alaska’s Tony Knowles Coastal Trail offers a breathtaking experience unlike any other rail-trail in the country. Learn more in our Trail of the Month feature.

Ribbon cutting ceremony for the launch of phase 1 of the Wasson Way rail-trail in Cincinnati, Ohio | Photo courtesy City of Cincinnati

Meet America's New Rail-Trails of 2018

Posted 12/17/18 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Building Trails | Tagged with Best Of, California, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington

This year was an exciting one for the rail-trail movement; as 2018 comes to a close, nearly 2,100 rail-trails are now open across the country. These trails add value in so many ways—increasing our mobility, improving our health, spurring economic development, protecting our environment and creating powerful connections within and between communities. Please join us in welcoming some of these newest arrivals!

Flint Hills Trail State Park | Photo courtesy Kansas Tourism

Kansas’ Flint Hills Trail State Park

Posted 11/13/18 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Demand for Trails, Federal, Funding, Health and Active Living, Heritage and Restoration, History Happened Here, Kansas, Local Organizing, RTC in Action, State and Federal Programs, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Walkability and Bikeability

Nestled into the gentle greens and golds of a vast prairie, rolling under leafy branches arched overhead like cathedral rooftops, and connecting small towns with friendly Midwestern charm, the Flint Hills Trail State Park proves there’s no place like Kansas.

Ahnapee State Park Trail | Photo by Ken Bryan

Nine Cool Rail-Trails in Wisconsin’s Ice Age Trail

Posted 10/24/18 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, History Happened Here, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Walkability and Bikeability, Wisconsin

“A national trail is a gateway into nature’s secret beauties,” wrote former Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall, a key champion of the National Trail System Act of 1968, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Wisconsin’s Ice Age Trail, one of 11 National Scenic Trails made possible by that legislation, is the embodiment of this sentiment, spanning 1,200 miles across the state along the edge of a glacier that left its mark on the landscape some 15,000 years ago.

Mineral Belt Trail | Photo by Laura Stark, courtesy Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Colorado’s Mineral Belt Trail

Posted 10/15/18 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, Colorado, Encouraging Trail Use, Health and Active Living, Heritage and Restoration, History Happened Here, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Transportation and Health, Walkability and Bikeability

Leadville residents jokingly refer to Denverites as “low landers.” Colorado’s two-mile-high city, nicknamed Cloud City, certainly has a heavenly rail-trail. Forming a nearly 12-mile paved loop around the city, the Mineral Belt Trail offers spectacular views around every bend: the dramatic Rocky Mountains, meadows of sagebrush and passage through the Historic Mining District on the east side of the city.

View from the Augusta Canal | Photo courtesy Augusta Convention and Visitors Bureau

Georgia’s Augusta Canal Trail

Posted 08/13/18 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Connected Systems, Cross-Sector Collaboration, Georgia, Heritage and Restoration, History Happened Here, Local Organizing, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Walkability and Bikeability

Like the fabled yellow brick road, Georgia’s Augusta Canal Trail unfolds with a soft orange hue and unexpected delights with every footstep or turn of the wheel. The packed-dirt trail, spanning just shy of 8 miles, follows an old towpath that is enveloped in history, paralleling the oldest continuously operating hydropower canal in the United States.

Delaware River Trail | Photo by Laura Stark

Find the Fun with a Scavenger Hunt on Greater Philadelphia’s Circuit Trails

Posted 07/27/18 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Circuit Trails, Community Events, Connected Systems, Encouraging Trail Use, Health and Active Living, History Happened Here, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Destinations, Trail Use Tips, Transportation and Health, Urban Pathways, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?, Wild and Wonderful

Walking, bicycling, skating, wildlife viewing—these are all the usual suspects of trail use, but this summer, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and our friends with the Circuit Trails are challenging visitors and residents in the Greater Philadelphia region to add another fun activity to the list: scavenger hunting! The Circuit Trails Scavenger Hunt, running now through Sept. 22, provides the perfect opportunity to revisit some favorite spots or explore new ones on the ever-expanding 300-miles-plus trail system throughout Philadelphia, and Camden, New Jersey.

North Pathway | Photo by Tim Young

Wyoming’s North Pathway

Posted 07/12/18 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, Health and Active Living, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Walkability and Bikeability, Wyoming

Tucked into Wyoming’s scenic northwestern corner, the North Pathway is what summer vacations are made for. From the charming town of Jackson—the gateway to two national parks—the paved pathway unwinds 20 miles north through a backdrop of sagebrush meadows and the unparalleled beauty of the Grand Teton mountain range. And at trail’s end is a pristine glacial lake surrounded by high canyon walls etched with hiking trails to explore.

Maryland's WB&A Trail | Photo by Glenn Gunter

Maryland's WB&A Trail

Posted 06/13/18 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Health and Wellness, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, Capital Trails Coalition, Connected Systems, District Of Columbia, Encouraging Trail Use, Federal, Funding, Local Organizing, Maryland, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, TrailNation, Walkability and Bikeability

The stars seem aligned for Maryland’s WB&A Trail, a straightforward, 13-mile pathway—beautiful in its simplicity and surroundings—that is rapidly becoming a key connector in a growing movement to improve walking and biking options in the Mid-Atlantic region. Linking Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Annapolis by a continuous, safe and scenic trail system is not just a pipe dream—it’s actually happening, and the WB&A Trail has an important place in that vision.

Cannon Valley Trail - Photo by TrailLink user caferacer42

Meet the Newest National Recreation Trails (Hint: Six Are Rail-Trails!)

Posted 06/01/18 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Encouraging Trail Use, Health and Active Living, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Pennsylvania, Virginia

Below are the rail-trails now joining the ranks of more than 1,000 National Recreation Trails designated across the country. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the National Trails System Act, which allowed for the establishment of these incredible assets that showcase the country’s diverse and beautiful scenery, preserve and commemorate our shared culture and history, and provide an opportunity for all citizens to enjoy healthy outdoor recreation.