TrailBlog Page 25

Appalachian Engine: The Virginia Creeper Trail Keeps Bringing Visitors Back

Posted 05/15/15 by Maureen Hannan in America's Trails | Tagged with Featured Magazine Articles, Trail Destinations, Virginia

Photo by Jason Barnette - Southeastern Traveler/Courtesy Abingdon Convention and Visitors Bureau

Though it may feel antique to the families who return year after year, the Virginia Creeper Trail is a fairly recent development—and one that almost didn’t happen. The trail is a beloved regional asset and economic boon that once ignited fierce opposition from neighboring landowners. A relic of the railroad age, it came within a pen stroke of simply vanishing into the forest.

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A future section of the Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway

Meet Janet Phillips, Tenacious Leader of the Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway

Posted 05/14/15 by Katie Harris in Building Trails, America's Trails | Tagged with California, Walkability and Bikeability

Janet Phillips, president of the Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway, doesn’t shy away from a challenge. During a full career working in water resources along the Truckee River in California, she noticed a notable missing component to the corridor along the river: a trail. And instead of wishing for one to appear, she took action.

Mopac Trail West | Photo courtesy Market to Market Relay

Nebraska's MoPac Trail East and West

Posted 05/12/15 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, Nebraska, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Exciting change is literally afoot in the Cornhusker State. Omaha currently ranks among the top 50 of America’s Best Bike Cities, and less than a dozen miles separate its trail system from Lincoln’s. The MoPac Trail, which will join them, is also a key piece of a bigger puzzle, the developing Quad State Trail, a regional network which will span more than 700 miles in four Midwestern states: Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri.

Photo courtesy Tim Drivas | CC by 2.0

Notice: Upcoming Railroad Abandonment in Niagara County, N.Y.

Posted 05/12/15 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Taking Action | Tagged with Abandonment Notices, Corridors and Railbanking, New York

On or about May 7, 2015, CSX Transportation, Inc. filed for the abandonment of 0.48 mile of track within Niagara Falls in Niagara County, New York. We are providing this information because it presents an opportunity to develop a real regional asset: a multi-use trail that can accommodate hikers, bikers, equestrians and other appropriate uses.

Sanford Railroad Bridge, Pere Marquette Rail-Trail in Michigan | Photo courtesy C Hanchey | CC by 2.0

What’s Next for Michigan’s Trails?

Posted 05/12/15 by Leeann Sinpatanasakul in Policy, Taking Action | Tagged with Michigan, Walkability and Bikeability

On May 5, 2015, voters in Michigan made their voices clear: Although many believe that the roads and other transportation infrastructure are a mess, the complicated Proposal 1, which would have increased both the fuel tax and sales tax to fund maintenance and improvements, while maintaining funding for schools and essential municipal services, was not the answer. So what's next?

The beautiful Lehigh Gorge on the D&L Trail in Pennsylvania | Photo by Mike Seigafuse

Trail Traveler for the Everyday Adventurer

Posted 05/11/15 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Encouraging Trail Use, Trail Destinations

In the inaugural issue of Trail Traveler, RTC shares our favorite spots for an outdoor weekend getaway, including recommendations for all the things a traveler needs at every part of their journey: lodging, restaurants, bike rentals and fun attractions along the way.

RTC's 2015 West Virginia Rail-Trail Sojourn | Photo courtesy Cleo Fogal

100 Riders, 3 Days, 7 Trails (and Sheep!): RTC's 2015 West Virginia Sojourn

Posted 05/04/15 by Tom Sexton in Building Trails | Tagged with Biking, Demand for Trails, Pennsylvania, Sojourn Series, Trail Communities, Walkability and Bikeability, West Virginia, Why Use Trails?

On April 24, 2015, approximately 100 people came together for RTC’s 2015 West Virginia Rail-Trail Sojourn. This 122-mile, three-day bike ride through four counties and seven rail-trails promised beautiful landscapes, warm communities and lots of adventure—and we weren't disappointed! Here are a few highlights from this incredible event.

Avid cyclists and 80-somethings Jack and Jeannette Ralston of Tennessee | Photo courtesy Jack and Jeannette Ralston

“They Think We’re Nuts”: Being in Their 80s Won’t Stop This Biking Duo

Posted 04/27/15 by Katie Harris in Trail Use, Success Stories | Tagged with Encouraging Trail Use, Tennessee

Remember Jack and Jeannette Ralston, the amazing couple who recently achieved a 70-years-plus dream of riding their bikes in every state (their story was originally featured in a 2013 issue of Rails to Trails)? They are still going strong! The Ralstons just took a trip to the Tweetsie Trail, a recently completed and stunningly beautiful rail-trail outside of Johnson City, Tennessee.

Granite State Rail Trail | Photo by Dick Mackay

Rail-Trail Provides Economic Engine in the Granite State

Posted 04/22/15 by Carl Knoch in America's Trails | Tagged with Encouraging Trail Use, New Hampshire, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities

From the Massachusetts state line to Lebanon, rail-trail development is booming in New Hampshire. The Granite State Rail Trail, when complete, will run 115 miles from the Connecticut River to Methuen. The Derry-Windham Rail Trail has been used as a multi-use pathway since the 1980s, and efforts to begin paving the trail began in the mid-2000s. Now, trail tourism is on the rise as new businesses, which cater to walkers and bikers of all ages, experience a surge of business.