Posts by Robert Annis

Oklahoma's Old Frisco Trail | Photo by TrailLink user curtandjanet

Top 10 Trails in Oklahoma

Posted 09/28/21 by Robert Annis in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Oklahoma, Top10, Trail Destinations

If you’re thinking to yourself, “Oh, what a beautiful morning … for a bike ride or a pleasant hike,” then maybe you should head to Oklahoma. Both Tulsa and Oklahoma City have terrific trail networks, where you can delve into history, enjoy some lovely scenery and get in a nice workout, all at the same time. (By the end of the year, Oklahoma City should have a completed 42-mile trail loop around the city.) Finding greenways longer than a couple of miles can be difficult outside those metropolitan areas, but we’re confident you’ll find Oklahoma’s rail-trails to be truly OK.

Arkansas's Arkansas River Trail | Photo by Scott Stark

Top 10 Trails in Arkansas

Posted 09/10/21 by Robert Annis in America's Trails | Tagged with Arkansas, Best Of, Top10, Trail Destinations

Arkansas may seem to have gone all-in on singletrack—Bentonville bills itself as the “mountain bike capital of the world”—but there’s a growing number of rail-trails! It makes sense, as Arkansas is a former railroad hotbed, with multiple lines crisscrossing the state. In the coming years, communities in northern Arkansas will spend up to $55 million on new and expanded greenways, including the 60-mile Southwest Trail linking Little Rock to Hot Springs National Park.

Kansas's Flint Hills Trail State Park | Courtesy Kansas Tourism

Top 10 Trails in Kansas

Posted 09/02/21 by Robert Annis in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Kansas, Top10, Trail Destinations

The geographic center of the contiguous United States, Kansas served as, and remains home to, many Native American tribes, and was a frequent passing-through point for explorers and settlers heading west to find their fortune. Today, the state hosts five National Historic Trails marking these routes: the Oregon, California, Santa Fe, Pony Express and Lewis & Clark trails. In the latter half of the 19th century, railroads followed suit. Years after many of these rail corridors fell into disrepair and disuse, local Jayhawk communities saw an opportunity to offer fun, safe human-powered connections between cities, towns and parks throughout the state (although you’ll still see horses on some of the trails). This includes the creation of one of the longest rail-trails in the country.

Three Rivers Greenway | Photo by Robert Annis

South Carolina’s Three Rivers Greenway

Posted 07/08/21 by Robert Annis in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Connected Systems, Demand for Trails, South Carolina, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

While pedaling the completed 19.4 miles of South Carolina’s Three Rivers Greenway, the word “potential” keeps popping up in my mind. The greenway follows the Broad, Saluda and Congaree Rivers, and everywhere I look, people are swimming, floating and otherwise having a good time.

Delaware's Georgetown-Lewes Trail | Photo by TrailLink user James McGinnis

Top 10 Trails in Delaware

Posted 06/21/21 by Robert Annis in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Delaware, Top10, Trail Destinations

Dubbed “the Small Wonder” by the state’s inhabitants, Delaware’s rail-trails certainly reflect that moniker; the longest one is only 10 miles long. But given that the entire state is roughly the same size as the city of Anchorage, Alaska, it’s also completely understandable. Luckily, what the trails lack in length, they make up for in history, beauty and fun. Delaware named cycling as its official state sport in 2014, and, a year later, was named one of the most bike-friendly states in the country by the League of American Bicyclists. Will you be exclaiming “Dela-WOW!” after exploring the state on these rail-trails? Well no, because no one actually talks like that. But you’re sure to enjoy all its wonders, big and small.

South Carolina's Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail | Photo by Barry Peters

Top 10 Trails in South Carolina

Posted 05/24/21 by Robert Annis in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, South Carolina, Top10, Trail Destinations

If you can’t decide whether to visit a still forest or coastal beach, a bustling city or more rural environments, South Carolina has you covered. Thanks to the Palmetto State’s trail system, you can often experience it all on one greenway. Best of all, exploring by foot or by bike means you’ll have an even better excuse to sample the cuisine South Carolina is known for. You’ll find plenty opportunities to refuel along the state’s trails, from small stands hawking boiled peanuts to Carolina barbecue joints to restaurants serving the incredible low-country specialties inspired by the Gullah Geechee, one of the oldest and culturally rich African American populations in the nation.

New Jersey's Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park Trail | Photo by Chuck Whitmore

Top 10 Trails in New Jersey

Posted 04/16/21 by Robert Annis in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, New Jersey, Top10, Trail Destinations

Escaping the interstate and exploring the backroads of New Jersey, it’s easy to see why it’s called the Garden State. And that’s just one reason why locals and visitors alike flock to the state’s 54 rail-trails—to get their fill of fresh air and gorgeous nature. Here are some of the best rail-trails in the state.

Maryland's Jones Falls Trail | Photo by Side A Photography

Top 10 Trails in Maryland

Posted 03/08/21 by Robert Annis in America's Trails | Tagged with Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, Best Of, Hall of Fame, Maryland, Top10, Trail Destinations, TrailNation

If you’ve been on Maryland’s Trails, then you know there’s much more to the state than just crabs, Old Bay and Baltimore Orioles baseball. The Free State offers a host of trail offerings for nearly every user, and its mild winters allow those riders and hikers to make the most of them year-round. Here are just 10 of our favorite pathways.

Cape Henlopen State Park Bike Loop | Courtesy Delaware State Parks

Delaware’s Cape Henlopen State Park Bike Loop

Posted 01/13/21 by Robert Annis in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Delaware, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Trail users roll past sand dunes and beaches, the Delaware Bay to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Cooper’s hawks and ospreys are frequently spotted in the sky, while red foxes are known to dart across the trail occasionally. These are but some of the glimpses of natural beauty to be found along the trails that wind through Delaware’s Cape Henlopen State Park.

Dunes on the Pierre Stocking Scenic Drive Overlook | Photo by Robert Annis

Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail: A Pedal Along a Michigan Marvel

Posted 08/26/20 by Robert Annis in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with COVID-19, Michigan, Trail Destinations, Trail Use Tips

Sleeping Bear Dunes had almost everything I was looking for, even one of the best rail-trails in the country. I’d heard too many great things about the 22-mile Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail over the years, and I wanted to finally ride it myself.

Little Beaver Creek Greenway Trail | Photo by TrailLink user jsusany324

Ohio’s Little Beaver Creek Greenway

Posted 07/13/20 by Robert Annis in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, IHTC, Ohio, Tourism , Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

the Little Beaver Creek Greenway introduces visitors to the beauty and history of the Appalachian foothills. Located in a former railroad depot, the Lisbon trailhead is about a quarter mile from the actual start of the greenway. From there, the trail gradually rises about 450 feet over its 12.5-mile length, running north to Washingtonville.