Trail Blog by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Photo CC Redbeard Math Pirate via Flickr

Train Trestle From Famous Film Soon to Welcome Hikers and Bikers

Posted 04/05/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails | Tagged with California, Corridors and Railbanking, Local Organizing

Now, Americans of all ages will be able to reenact that famous scene in Stand by Me in a much more leisurely (and safe) fashion, with the announcement last week that an agreement has been struck to purchase the out-of-service section of rail corridor in northeast California and convert it into a rail-trail.

Boom in Biking Benefits Everyone, Not Just Cyclists

Posted 04/03/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Policy | Tagged with Case Studies, Facts and FIgures, State and Federal Programs, Statements of Support, Tourism and Economic Stimulus

As the U.S. Congress debates the next federal transportation bill, we're always excited to see the evidence keep mounting in support of the value of trails, walking and bicycling in communities of every size.

Photo of phase one section of the Brighton East Rail Trail © Lexington Fayette Urban County

Lexington, Ky., Pushing to Extend and Connect Local Rail-Trail Network

Posted 04/03/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, Kentucky, State and Federal Programs, Walkability and Bikeability

The people of Lexington, Ky., are pushing ahead with plans to develop an impressive biking and walking network built around a number of urban and rural rail-trails.

Made in Michigan

Posted 04/03/12 by in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Facts and FIgures, Michigan, State and Federal Programs, Trail Communities

In May 2008, I traveled to Michigan to explore the 62-mile North Central State Trail, which runs from Gaylord to Mackinaw City at the tip of the Lower Peninsula. I'd timed my visit for the trail's official opening that spring, and I spent several days enjoying the region's incredible natural backdrop.

Photo © Rainier to Ruston Rail-Trail Relay

From Mt Rainier to Puget Sound - Relay Race Raises Money for Foothills Trail

Posted 04/01/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Trail Use | Tagged with Community Events, Local Organizing, Private Fundraising, Washington

The history of the race and the rail-trail are inextricably intertwined. When the first Rainier to Ruston Rail-Trail Relay was held in 1992, its goal was to raise money to build the Foothills Trail and help connect Mount Rainier with Puget Sound along an out-of-service section of the Northern Pacific Railroad.

Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, Connecticut

Posted 04/01/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in America's Trails | Tagged with Connecticut, Heritage and Restoration, State and Federal Programs, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

When it comes to layers of history, few pathways can top the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. This central Connecticut corridor started life as a waterway, then turned into a railroad, then became a multi-use trail. Lately, it's become a crucial link in an ambitious 3,000-mile greenway from Florida to Maine.

In Washington, Kirkland Purchase Another Step Toward Eastside Rail Trail

Posted 03/30/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails | Tagged with Champions, Overcoming Opposition, Statements of Support, Washington

The people who were there still remember it vividly--- the passionate, inspirational speech given by Ron Sims, then executive of King County, Wash., at Portland University in 2007.

Image: © Konstantin Dimopoulos, Photo by David Brown Photography.

Turning Blue for the Environment

Posted 03/29/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in America's Trails | Tagged with Ecology and Environment, Washington

If you're cycling along the Burke-Gilman Trail in Kenmore, Wash., next week and notice some new, bizarrely colored landscaping along the way, don't worry. It may not look natural, but it's all for nature.

Photo © Danvers Rail Trail Advisory Committee

A Party in Massachusetts to Celebrate Rail-Trail Milestone

Posted 03/28/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails, Taking Action | Tagged with Local Organizing, Massachusetts, Private Fundraising

Earlier this month, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy wrote on TrailBlog about the great success of local volunteers in selling sponsorships to fund the installation of mile-markers along the Danvers Rail Trail in northeast Massachusetts.

Photo of the Susquehanna River © State of Pennsylvania

Once By River and Rail, Travel By Trail Now Thrives Along the Susquehanna

Posted 03/27/12 by in Building Trails | Tagged with Ecology and Environment, Pennsylvania, Wild and Wonderful

The Susquehanna River is one of Pennsylvania's most loved natural features, a broad, hearty current that winds southward through the state before emptying in Chesapeake Bay.

Trail Groups Get a Jump on Spring Cleaning

Posted 03/26/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails | Tagged with Local Organizing, Maintenance and Volunteers

According to recent news stories, the early arrival of the season has also meant some trail groups are getting an early start on their spring cleaning.

Athens, Ga., Lauches New Rail-Trail Project

Posted 03/23/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails | Tagged with Georgia, Local Organizing, Trail Communities

Looking wistfully at the famous and much-loved Silver Comet Trail about 70 miles to the west, local organizers near Athens, Ga., are hoping to build a similar rail-trail attraction in their region.

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