TrailBlog Page 98

Photo © Gus Rivera

A Big Notch in the (Shrinking) Belt of Pennsylvania Cyclist

Posted 07/05/12 by in | Tagged with

As bikemates 20 years his junior bowed out with sore legs and stiff muscles, Gus Rivera was proudly the last man standing. A year and a half earlier, and 75 pounds heavier, Rivera, 57, didn't even own a bike.

Photo courtesy Doug Kerr | CC BY-SA 2.0

In Western Maryland, Town of Hancock Capitalizes on Local Trail Traffic

Posted 07/02/12 by Lorraine Rehbock Halsted in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Maryland, Trail Communities

Hancock, MD is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts from all over the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond. In particular, visitors come to the small town of 1,800 residents to journey along the 22.5-mile Western Maryland Rail Trail, which retraces a piece of the former Western Maryland Railway.

Cardinal Greenway, Bridge in Economy | Photo by Angie Pool, courtesy Cardinal Greenways Inc.

Cardinal Greenway, Indiana

Posted 07/01/12 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, Indiana, State and Federal Programs, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

One can imagine the collective Hoosier hooray when the final leg of the Cardinal Greenway was put in place last summer. The rail corridor for Indiana's longest and long-awaited rail-trail was purchased nearly 20 years ago and now offers 62 miles of smooth, inviting blacktop spanning five counties in east-central Indiana.

Photo © Reynolds, Smith and Hills Inc.

From Razor Wire to Postcard Shot - New Bridge a Fine Feature in Gainesville, Fla.

Posted 06/29/12 by Laura Stark in Building Trails | Tagged with Florida, Signage and Amenities

There's no way to put this nicely: the Southwest 13th Street bridge was just plain ugly. But construction is currently under way to transform the Gainesville, Fla., pedestrian overpass--which once featured cage-like siding and razor wire on top- into a magnificent gateway feature for the city.

Photo © Rails-to-Trails Conservancy/Jake Lynch

Thanks to Towpath, Cycling Culture Thriving in Williamsport, Md.

Posted 06/20/12 by Jake Lynch in America's Trails | Tagged with Demand for Trails, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Sojourn Series, Tourism and Economic Stimulus

The first person I met in Williamsport, Md., was the town clerk, Donnie Stotelmyer. He was on the phone with the local fire chief, finding a way to hook us up with water for a giant shower truck and 250 hot and thirsty riders. A few moments earlier he had opened the restrooms in town hall for us to use, organized a discount rate at the swimming pool, and was generally bending over backwards to accommodate the droves of arriving riders on the 2012 Greenway Sojourn.

Photo courtesy Emily | CC BY-NC 2.0

In Brunswick, Md., Trail Business is Booming

Posted 06/19/12 by Jake Lynch in America's Trails | Tagged with Maryland, Pennsylvania, Sojourn Series, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses

I had read plenty of data and economic reports about the financial impact of trails tourism. And I had seen the trailhead parking lots full of vehicles with bike racks and horse trailers, seen the trail wayfinding signs going up outside small town burrito places, cafes and grocery stores. But arriving yesterday afternoon in Brunswick, a small town along the C&O Canal towpath in Maryland, I saw and felt the phenomenon of trail tourism like never before.