COVID-19

Three Rivers Heritage Trail | Photo by Healthy Ride, Pittsburgh Bike Share

How Trails and Outdoor Access Provide Important Mental Health Benefits

Posted 09/02/20 by Cory Matteson in America's Trails, Trail Use, Health and Wellness | Tagged with COVID-19, Encouraging Trail Use, Equity, Trail Moments, Trail Use Tips, Why Use Trails?

One significant way millions of Americans are addressing their mental health needs during the coronavirus is through frequent activity in the outdoors. In Lincoln, Nebraska, where I live, the city’s robust trail system has been packed with more cyclists, roller bladers, runners and walkers than I’d ever encountered before in a spring trail season.

Dunes on the Pierre Stocking Scenic Drive Overlook | Photo by Robert Annis

Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail: A Pedal Along a Michigan Marvel

Posted 08/26/20 by Robert Annis in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with COVID-19, Michigan, Trail Destinations, Trail Use Tips

Sleeping Bear Dunes had almost everything I was looking for, even one of the best rail-trails in the country. I’d heard too many great things about the 22-mile Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail over the years, and I wanted to finally ride it myself.

Photo by Side A Photography

Building a Brighter Future

Posted 07/02/20 by Ryan Chao in America's Trails | Tagged with COVID-19, Great American Rail-Trail, RTC in Action, TrailNation

The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear that trails are essential assets for the well-being of people and places, and our country needs a trail in every community. While FY 2019 in many ways seems like a distant time, our work last fiscal year, and the decades leading up, positioned us to meet the current moment and be part of helping to shape a brighter future.

Cyclist in Washington, D.C. | Photo by Anthony Le

The “INVEST in America” Act: A Strong, But Unfinished, Vision for America’s Transportation Future

Posted 06/11/20 by Patrick Wojahn in Policy | Tagged with Connected Systems, COVID-19, Federal, Funding, Tourism and Economic Development

June 3, 2020, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee released the INVEST in America Act. The bill tackles many of the most critical issues—including safety, climate and maintenance; however, there is room for more innovation, including a commitment to invest in connected active-transportation infrastructure, to make walking and bicycling safer, more equitable and more convenient for Americans.

Baltimore, MD | Photo by Side A Photography

What We Mean When We Say We Are “Standing Against Racism”

Posted 06/10/20 by Ryan Chao in Taking Action | Tagged with Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, BATC, Capital Trails Coalition, Caracara, Circuit Trails, COVID-19, Equity, Route of the Badger, TrailNation

When we spoke out in response to the troubling and damaging displays of racism and violence against Black people these past few weeks, we heard from many of you standing in solidarity. But we also got many questions—about the prevalence of experiences of inequity and injustice in the outdoors as well as what we’re doing about it.

Wissahickon Trail in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Photo by Patrick Wittwer | CC by 2.0

Taking Care of Our Trails and Parks in the Midst of COVID-19

Posted 05/22/20 by Amy Kapp, Eric Oberg in America's Trails | Tagged with COVID-19, Maintenance and Volunteers, Trail Etiquette, Trail Moments, Trail Use Tips

As trails remain on the front lines in providing outdoor opportunities and mobility for Americans, managers continue to explore new ways to work with their communities to ensure positive experiences for record numbers of users in the face of limited maintenance resources, reduced staffing and curtailed volunteer activities.

Gallery view of Celebrate Trails @Home broadcast | Courtesy RTC

What We Learned at Our Celebrate Trails @Home 2020 Virtual Bash

Posted 04/22/20 by Amy Kapp, Suzanne Matyas in America's Trails | Tagged with Community Events, COVID-19, Demand for Trails, Encouraging Trail Use, Healthy Aging, OpeningDay, RTC in Action, Trail Communities, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?

On Saturday, April 18, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) hosted “Celebrate Trails @Home,” our all-virtual tribute to America’s pathways and their impact on communities everywhere—especially right now as people flock to their local trail for physical activity and solace at a safe social distance.

Trail runner | Photo by Aarni Heiskanen | CC by 2.0

Here’s the Latest Expert Guidance on Outdoor Activity and COVID-19

Posted 04/18/20 by Amy Kapp in Trail Use, Health and Wellness | Tagged with COVID-19, Health and Active Living, Trail Etiquette, Trail Moments

As Americans work to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 across the United States, public health professionals continue to provide important safety guidance on engaging in outdoor physical activity. Experts are urging people to stay as close to home as possible when seeking places to be active in the outdoors, and to engage in physical activity on their own. They are also suggesting face coverings as a voluntary public-health measure. New guidelines from the CDC about the safe use of parks and outdoor recreation facilities reinforce these recommendations. Here’s the latest on how to safely be outdoors in the midst of COVID-19.