Trail Use

Here’s the Latest Expert Guidance on Outdoor Activity and COVID-19

Posted 04/18/20 by Amy Kapp in Trail Use, Health and Wellness | Tagged with COVID-19, Health and Active Living, Trail Etiquette

Trail runner | Photo by Aarni Heiskanen | CC by 2.0

As Americans work to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 across the United States, public health professionals continue to provide important safety guidance on engaging in outdoor physical activity. Experts are urging people to stay as close to home as possible when seeking places to be active in the outdoors, and to engage in physical activity on their own. They are also suggesting face coverings as a voluntary public-health measure. New guidelines from the CDC about the safe use of parks and outdoor recreation facilities reinforce these recommendations. Here’s the latest on how to safely be outdoors in the midst of COVID-19.

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Minuteman Commuter Bikeway | Courtesy Friends of Lexington Bikeways

Good Trail Etiquette Has Never Been More Essential Than It Is Right Now.

Posted 04/02/20 by Amy Kapp in Trail Use, Health and Wellness | Tagged with COVID-19, Safety and Law Enforcement, Trail Etiquette, Trail Use Tips

Where trails are open—especially in areas where parks and other outdoor recreation facilities have closed—there has been an influx of new users and recognition that safe use and trail etiquette have never been so vital to the health of our nation.

2018 St. Petersburg Open Streets | Photo courtesy CityofStPete | CC BY-ND 2.0

Closing Streets to Create Space for Walking and Biking

Posted 03/27/20 by Brandi Horton in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with COVID-19, Demand for Trails, Encouraging Trail Use, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?

Trail use has surged. An analysis of 31 trail counters for the week of March 16–22 by RTC found a nationwide trail usage increase of nearly 200% from that same week in 2019. Largely, this is good news.

Four Mile Run in Arlington, VA | Photo by Joe LaCroix

Using Trails and Outdoor Spaces Safely in the Wake of COVID-19

Posted 03/24/20 by Amy Kapp in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with COVID-19, Trail Use Tips, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?

It’s vital that people find ways to engage in physical activity during this time; the benefits to our immune systems and our mental health are significant. But it is critical that we do so in ways that will keep us safe and minimize the spread of the pandemic. While trails continue to serve as significant sources of health and wellness for Americans, RTC is urging everyone to practice safe and responsible trail use and self-care at all times.

Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge | Photo by John Carrel

Nebraska and Iowa’s Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge

Posted 03/10/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, Federal, Great American Rail-Trail, Iowa, Nebraska, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, TrailNation, Walkability and Bikeability

Floating sinuously over America’s longest waterway, the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge straddles the Missouri River between bustling Omaha—Nebraska’s largest city—and the quieter-feeling hometown of Council Bluffs, Iowa. The graceful structure, once hotly debated, played a transformational role in the riverfront’s redevelopment and continues to serve as a catalyst for upcoming projects.

Family riding along the Cross Alameda Trail through Jean Sweeney Park | Photo by Laura Cohen and Rolf Bell

City of Alameda Celebrates Opening of Newest Trail Connection

Posted 03/04/20 by Ben Kaufman, Mary Elise Conzelmann in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with BATC, California, Community Events, Demand for Trails, Local Organizing, TrailNation

On Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, hundreds of people came out to celebrate the opening of a new segment of the Cross Alameda Trail (CAT), a developing 4-mile rail-trail across the island city of Alameda just south of Oakland in California’s Bay Area. The newly minted 0.9-mile section of trail—which stretches east from Main Street to Constitution Way along Ralph Appezzato Memorial Parkway and Atlantic Avenue—is a vital new walking and biking connection for Alameda and the region. This nearly mile-long trail segment connects to an existing 0.6-mile segment of the CAT to form 1.5 miles of continuous rail-trail between Alameda Point and the new 25-acre Jean Sweeney Open Space Park.

Thermal Belt Rail Trail bridge over Highway 74 | Photo by Dana Bradley

North Carolina’s Thermal Belt Rail Trail

Posted 02/11/20 by Cindy Barks in America's Trails, Trail Use, Health and Wellness | Tagged with Best Of, Funding, Health and Active Living, Healthy Aging, Heritage and Restoration, History Happened Here, North Carolina, RTC in Action, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Today, the 13.58-mile Thermal Belt Rail Trail lies where the old Southern Railroad, and later the Thermal Belt Railway, once ran. The trail has been a boon for Rutherford County on a number of levels.

Lake Easton State Park in Washington | Courtesy Washington State Parks

Eight Scenic State Parks for RV Camping Along the Great American Rail-Trail

Posted 01/29/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, Great American Rail-Trail, Hall of Fame, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, TrailNation, Washington

To experience a trail of such length—the Great American spans more than 3,700 miles—some may prefer to hop in an RV to cover greater distances and experience more trails within the route. Near many of these trails, travelers can often find state parks tucked along the banks of scenic rivers or lakes, providing idyllic settings for camping. Here are a few of these picturesque parks along the Great American that are perfect for a long-distance journey of RV-plus-trail.

Oregon's Springwater Corridor | Photo by TrailLink user dabiker

7 Top Trail Picks From Trail Lovers Like You on TrailLink!

Posted 12/31/19 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Alabama, Best Of, Great American Rail-Trail, Hall of Fame, Idaho, Michigan, New Hampshire, Oregon, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Vermont

We have some inspiring rail-trails to keep you motivated throughout 2020! These bucket-list destinations come from some of the top submitters of trail photos on TrailLink.com, which currently lists more than 4,000 multiuse trails across America.

California's El Dorado Trail | Photo by Jackie Neau

#OptOutside 2019: The Perfect Photo Opp

Posted 12/04/19 by Suzanne Matyas in Trail Use | Tagged with Encouraging Trail Use, Health and Active Living

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) is pleased to join our friends at REI each year in encouraging people to #OptOutside on Black Friday and spend more time outdoors every day. Because we know there’s no better way to spend time outdoors than on the trail, we invited you to join us outside on Friday, Nov. 29, on one of your favorites and share the moment! Thank you to the millions who opted outside—and to all of you who helped inspire them by sharing your trail outings on social media.