Best Of

Top 10 Trails in California

Posted 01/25/21 by Scott Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, California, Top10, Trail Destinations

Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail in California | Photo by Elizabeth Bean Photography

Here are 10 of our Golden State favorite trails. From a temperate rainforest to an arid desert, California offers a climate for just about everyone. And whether you feel at home along the beach or among the mountains, our country’s most populous state probably has a trail experience tailored for you.

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St. Louis Riverfront Trail | Photo by Eric Oberg

Top 10 Trails in Missouri

Posted 01/15/21 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Missouri, Top10, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations

From key steamboat ports to railroad hubs, Missouri has long been at the literal center of transportation in America. This rich railroad history has led to more than 450 miles of rail-trail in the state today, and its powerhouse rivers—like the Missouri and Mississippi—sport miles of scenic greenways. We highlight some of those beloved rail-trails here as well as a few of Missouri’s other multiuse gems.

Cape Henlopen State Park Bike Loop | Courtesy Delaware State Parks

Delaware’s Cape Henlopen State Park Bike Loop

Posted 01/13/21 by Robert Annis in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Delaware, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Trail users roll past sand dunes and beaches, the Delaware Bay to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Cooper’s hawks and ospreys are frequently spotted in the sky, while red foxes are known to dart across the trail occasionally. These are but some of the glimpses of natural beauty to be found along the trails that wind through Delaware’s Cape Henlopen State Park.

Great Allegheny Passage (gaptrail.org) | Photo by Milo Bateman

Top 10 Trails in Pennsylvania

Posted 01/08/21 by Amy Kapp in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Circuit Trails, IHTC, Pennsylvania, Top10, Trail Destinations, TrailNation

Check out RTC's list of Pennsylvania's top 10 trail, which travel through major metropolitan areas, by some of America’s most treasured historical and cultural sites, and through the breathtaking wilderness and viewscapes that make the state a premier outdoor destination.

Florida's Legacy Trail | Photo by Brian Gerhardstein

Top 10 Trails in Florida

Posted 01/01/21 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Florida, Miami LOOP, Top10, Trail Destinations, TrailNation

The Sunshine State’s plethora of pathways—including nearly 60 rail-trails—connect travelers to this diverse array of beautiful landscapes and unique communities. Even better, with some of the flattest geography in the United States, these top trails are suitable for just about everyone.

Photo by India Kea

Looking Back, With Gratitude, on a Year of Challenges and Triumphs for Trails

Posted 12/23/20 by Amy Kapp, Paola Tejada Lalinde in America's Trails, Success Stories, Policy, Building Trails | Tagged with Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, BATC, Best Of, Capital Trails Coalition, Caracara, COVID-19, Federal, Funding, Great American Rail-Trail, IHTC, Route of the Badger, RTC in Action, Trail Moments, TrailNation, Why Use Trails?

As 2020 draws to a close—a year of extreme changes and challenges—it is with incredible appreciation that we reflect on the collective impact of our movement across the country.

Upper Bucks Rail Trail | Courtesy Bucks County Planning Commission

2020’s Silver Lining: Six New Rail-Trails to Treasure

Posted 12/07/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Trail Destinations, Virginia, West Virginia

Among this year’s class of new rail-trails is a pathway that’s key to a 275-mile route across Michigan, a Virginia stunner with a nearly milelong railroad tunnel, a new segment of the multistate East Coast Greenway in Massachusetts, and a Pennsylvania rail-trail that’s part of three vast regional trail systems.

Canyon Rim Trail | Courtesy Los Alamos County Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Division

New Mexico’s Canyon Rim Trail

Posted 12/04/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Health and Wellness | Tagged with Best Of, Connected Systems, Federal, Funding, Health and Active Living, New Mexico, Schools and Young People, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Walkability and Bikeability

One of Los Alamos County's most popular pathways, the Canyon Rim Trail, provides an easy—and easy to reach—option in the heart of the community, packing a lot of wonder into its 2.5 miles.

Tacony Creek | Photo by Thom Carroll

When Trails Connect Everyone, Everywhere

Posted 12/01/20 by Ryan Chao in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Connected Systems, Equity, Great American Rail-Trail, RTC in Action, Trail Moments, TrailNation, TrailsTransform

Throughout this year, as we’ve continued to galvanize the trails movement in a virtual world, the movement itself has inspired us—in particular, the stories so many have shared of the moments of joy, respite, healing and strength they have found on the trail. The impact of our work in this time has brought urgency and focus to our path forward.

Flint Hills Trail State Park | Courtesy Kansas Tourism

Five Destination Rail-Trails Newly Designated as 2020 National Recreation Trails

Posted 11/30/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, Hall of Fame, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Ohio, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations

In October, a new slate of 30 trails in 25 states—including the five rail-trails highlighted here—were ushered into the ranks of top outdoor destinations as 2020’s National Recreation Trails by U.S. Secretary of the Interior.

Historic Battlefield Trail | Photo by TrailLink user Christina Garza

Texas’ Historic Battlefield Trail

Posted 11/13/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Texas, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

The Historic Battlefield Trail has become a catalyst for a burgeoning 428-mile trail network that will link the rich natural, cultural and historical resources of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, and promote increased physical activity regionwide.

Courtesy Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

This Bouquet of #TrailMoments Will Inspire You

Posted 11/05/20 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in America's Trails, Trail Use, Health and Wellness | Tagged with Best Of, Trail Moments, Why Use Trails?

Through our national Trail Moments initiative, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is inviting everyone—both new and tried-and-true trail users—to share these special moments of connection and demonstrate what trails mean to each of us right now. Here, we’ve collected a small bouquet of #TrailMoments from people across the country; we hope you are as inspired as we are!