America's Trails

Top 10 Trails in California

Posted 01/25/21 by Scott Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, California, Top10, Trail Destinations

Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail in California | Photo by Elizabeth Bean Photography

Here are 10 of our Golden State favorite trails. From a temperate rainforest to an arid desert, California offers a climate for just about everyone. And whether you feel at home along the beach or among the mountains, our country’s most populous state probably has a trail experience tailored for you.

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Jeff Doppelt, rail-trail supporter and philanthropist, on the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail | Photo courtesy Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Rail-Trail Movement Mourns a Great Friend, Philanthropist Jeff Doppelt

Posted 01/21/21 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in America's Trails | Tagged with Hall of Fame, Rail-Trail Champion

This past week, the rail-trail movement lost one of its greatest friends, Jeffrey L. Doppelt of Great Neck, New York, an enthusiastic ambassador and philanthropist for rail-trails, who passed away from COVID-19. A member of RTC for over 25 years, Jeff was truly a railroad enthusiast.

St. Louis Riverfront Trail | Photo by Eric Oberg

Top 10 Trails in Missouri

Posted 01/15/21 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Missouri, Top10, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations

From key steamboat ports to railroad hubs, Missouri has long been at the literal center of transportation in America. This rich railroad history has led to more than 450 miles of rail-trail in the state today, and its powerhouse rivers—like the Missouri and Mississippi—sport miles of scenic greenways. We highlight some of those beloved rail-trails here as well as a few of Missouri’s other multiuse gems.

The Three of Us | Courtesy Darlene Maxfield

Connecting to Nature, Connecting as a Family, on America’s Trails

Posted 01/14/21 by Darlene Maxfield in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with COVID-19, Demand for Trails, Encouraging Trail Use, Equity, People with Disabilities, Trail Moments

Since COVID-19 began, our activities have been limited and our universe has shrunk. I know we’re not alone in this; so many people have been limited in what they can do during this time. But we found that one activity still brings us so much joy—biking as a family on our local trails.

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.

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.

Florida's Legacy Trail | Photo by Brian Gerhardstein

Top 10 Trails in Florida

Posted 01/01/21 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Florida, Miami LOOP, Top10, Trail Destinations, TrailNation

The Sunshine State’s plethora of pathways—including nearly 60 rail-trails—connect travelers to this diverse array of beautiful landscapes and unique communities. Even better, with some of the flattest geography in the United States, these top trails are suitable for just about everyone.

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.

Ed and Jenn Coleman on the Chief Ladiga Trail | Courtesy Ed Coleman

The Long Trail Home

Posted 12/17/20 by Ed Coleman in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Alabama, Arizona, California, COVID-19, Encouraging Trail Use, Florida, Trail Moments, Why Use Trails?

Trail riding encompasses my fondest childhood memories and confirmation of my life partner. It grounds me to myself and makes the world around me my home. I lost that connection during the pandemic, and I have realized that rediscovering the trails around me—my #TrailMoments—makes me feel whole and like the world will be ok.

Along the Manchester Rail Trail in Vermont | Photo by Robin Verner

A Vermont Rail-Trail Leads to the New York Public Library

Posted 12/17/20 by Monica Cardoza in America's Trails | Tagged with History Happened Here, Maintenance and Volunteers, Vermont

In 2000, the town of Manchester commissioned a feasibility study to convert the MD&G railbed into a recreation trail. “The project just needed someone to step up to the challenge and make it happen,” said Robin Verner, who with his wife, Amy, and friends Bill Drunsic and Jim Hand, formed Old Railroad Bed LLC in 2009 to purchase the last remaining section of the original line. In March, Manchester voters will vote on town acquisition of the privately held trail.

Upper Bucks Rail Trail | Courtesy Bucks County Planning Commission

2020’s Silver Lining: Six New Rail-Trails to Treasure

Posted 12/07/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Trail Destinations, Virginia, West Virginia

Among this year’s class of new rail-trails is a pathway that’s key to a 275-mile route across Michigan, a Virginia stunner with a nearly milelong railroad tunnel, a new segment of the multistate East Coast Greenway in Massachusetts, and a Pennsylvania rail-trail that’s part of three vast regional trail systems.