TrailBlog Page 7

Capital Crescent Trail in Washington, D.C. | Photo by Jon Lowenstein

History Along the Great American Rail-Trail: A Kick-Off With the Creators

Posted 06/14/21 by Amy Kapp in America's Trails | Tagged with Great American Rail-Trail, History Happened Here, Trail Destinations, TrailNation

In 2019, TrailLink.com™, RTC’s national trail-finder website, embarked on an ambitious historical exploration of the developing Great American Rail-Trail, with a goal to shine a light on the people, landmarks and innovations that encapsulate this iconic 3,700-mile route between Washington, D.C., and Washington State.

Arizona's Prescott Peavine National Recreational Trail | Photo by Cindy Barks

Top 10 Trails in Arizona

Posted 06/08/21 by Cindy Barks in America's Trails | Tagged with Arizona, Best Of, Top10, Trail Destinations

From the vast chasm of the Grand Canyon to the cactus/tumbleweed landscape of the Sonoran Desert, Arizona’s trails are big on both views and culture. In fact, if it’s iconic scenes of the American West you’re after, the Grand Canyon State’s trails are among the best places to find them. Along with the classic desert and canyon terrain that Arizona is famous for, the top trails take in canal-side settings through metropolitan areas and railroad routes that once served rural communities. Here are 10 of our favorite trails for savoring the vistas and soaking up the history.

Volunteers participate in a sacred corn planting in 2019, sowing the seeds by hand. | Photo by Alex Matzke, courtesy Bold Nebraska

The Legacy of White Buffalo Girl, and the Resiliency of a People

Posted 06/04/21 by Scott Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Featured Magazine Articles, Great American Rail-Trail, Heritage and Restoration, History Happened Here, Local Organizing, Nebraska

In Laurel Hill Cemetery just outside the town of Neligh, Nebraska, stands a gravestone. The gravesite represents grief, suffering and a historic injustice. This final resting place marked the end of a short life but the beginning of a generations-long story. Here lies White Buffalo Girl.

Rhode Island's Blackstone River Greenway | Photo by Milo Bateman

Top 10 Trails in Rhode Island

Posted 06/01/21 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Rhode Island, Top10, Trail Destinations

With nearly 80 miles of open rail-trail, Rhode Island’s pathways offer a delightfully eclectic mix of small-town charm and big city vibrancy, remote wooded ponds and wide ocean views, industrial heritage and backcountry beauty. Even better, our smallest state is part of two of the largest trail projects in the country: the East Coast Greenway, stretching more than 3,000 miles from Maine to Florida, and the burgeoning six-state New England Rail-Trail Network.

South Carolina's Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail | Photo by Barry Peters

Top 10 Trails in South Carolina

Posted 05/24/21 by Robert Annis in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, South Carolina, Top10, Trail Destinations

If you can’t decide whether to visit a still forest or coastal beach, a bustling city or more rural environments, South Carolina has you covered. Thanks to the Palmetto State’s trail system, you can often experience it all on one greenway. Best of all, exploring by foot or by bike means you’ll have an even better excuse to sample the cuisine South Carolina is known for. You’ll find plenty opportunities to refuel along the state’s trails, from small stands hawking boiled peanuts to Carolina barbecue joints to restaurants serving the incredible low-country specialties inspired by the Gullah Geechee, one of the oldest and culturally rich African American populations in the nation.

Connecticut's Charter Oak Greenway | Photo by TrailLink user ctaci

Top 10 Trails in Connecticut

Posted 05/17/21 by Gene Bisbee in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Connecticut, Top10, Trail Destinations

Railroads and canals both played huge roles in Connecticut’s early economic development. Today those corridors serve as trails for bicyclists, walkers, equestrians and others seeking quality time outdoors. Many are heavily wooded, creating shade on hot summer days and colorful displays in the fall. They also provide alternative transportation opportunities for commuters in the Constitution State’s largest cities. Long-distance travelers will find 98 trail miles of the 3,000-mile-long East Coast Greenway within the state’s borders, as well as segments of the New England Rail-Trail Spine Network.

MaShanta Ashmon on Michigan's Clinton River Park Trail | Photo by Rachel Walker | Graphic by RTC

Finding Health, Healing and Hope on the Trail

Posted 05/13/21 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Health and Wellness | Tagged with COVID-19, Health and Active Living, Michigan, Trail Moments, Why Use Trails?

After a long day of being in the house, sitting in front of a computer for seven hours, the only thing I wanted to do was close down my Zoom and go outside and ride my bike. I think that kept me sane. It truly gave me something to look forward to.

Lanie Fleischer Chester Creek Trail | Courtesy Erin Kirkland

Alaska’s Lanie Fleischer Chester Creek Trail

Posted 05/13/21 by Christina Sturdivant Sani in America's Trails | Tagged with Alaska, Best Of, Connected Systems, Demand for Trails, Local Organizing, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Walkability and Bikeability, Wild and Wonderful, Winter Uses

The Lanie Fleischer Chester Creek Trail is a beautiful oasis in the middle of Anchorage, Alaska. Running east to west from Goose Lake Park to Westchester Lagoon, the greenbelt boasts scenic views of the Chugach Mountains. “You would never know you’re going through an industrial area,” said Beth Nordlund, the executive director of the Anchorage Park Foundation.

Screenshot of Friends of Madison County Parks and Trails' groundbreaking of a community mural project along Roberts Pass and Prairie Grass Trail

Celebrate Trails Day 2021: Big Celebration—Nationwide Impact

Posted 05/12/21 by Suzanne Matyas in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with CelebrateTrailsDay, Local Organizing, Trail Use Tips, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?

On April 24, 2021, we invited people and partners across the country to join us outside for Celebrate Trails Day. Thousands of people banded together to celebrate and show appreciation for these essential spaces by spending more than 139,000 minutes being physically active outside!

The stunning 22-mile NorPac trail in Idaho and Montana, is a host trail of the 3,700-mile Great American Rail-Trail. | Photo by TrailLink user cstineyb

Great American Rail-Trail: Long-Distance Adventures

Posted 05/07/21 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, Biking, Great American Rail-Trail, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, Tourism , Trail Destinations

During the COVID-19 pandemic, bicycle purchases have surged, and trail use around the country has seen a sustained uptick of more than 50% over previous years. Being outside has helped millions to cope, buoying support—and demand for—projects like the developing 3,700-mile Great American Rail-Trail, the nation’s first cross-country multiuse trail. Here are just a few of the long-distance outdoor adventures to be found along this unique and vital route between Washington State and Washington, D.C.

Washington's Olympic Discovery Trail | Photo by John Gussman

What’s It Like to Ride the Great American Rail-Trail? Just Ask These Trail Trekkers.

Posted 05/07/21 by Cory Matteson in America's Trails, Trail Use, Health and Wellness | Tagged with Great American Rail-Trail, Health and Active Living, Healthy Aging, Tourism , Trail Destinations, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?

To commemorate the anniversary of the launch of the Great American, RTC talked to several long-distance bicyclists who have taken on the trail already—or are about to—to learn about their experiences so far, and why they’re tackling it the way they are.

Montana's Headwaters Trail System | Photo by Scott Stark

Top 10 Trails in Montana

Posted 05/06/21 by Amy Grisak in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Great American Rail-Trail, Montana, Top10, Trail Destinations, TrailNation

Montana has plenty of room to roam. With roughly 30-million acres of state and federal lands, choosing the path less traveled is a distinct possibility. Wide open spaces take you through rolling grasslands and bucolic farmland, and past peaceful waterways within sight of, if not surrounded by, spectacular mountains. And the trails within towns, such as the former Milwaukee Road that is now part of the Riverfront Trail in Missoula, give users opportunities to explore the nuances of neighborhoods and natural areas within these more populated, but rarely crowded, regions. With continual improvements on the trail systems throughout the state every year, here is a handful of our current favorites.