Trail Blog by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

The Great American Rail-Trail Experience: Connections to Our National Scenic and Historic Trails

Posted 11/12/19 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, District Of Columbia, Great American Rail-Trail, Iowa, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Trail Destinations, Washington, Wyoming

Milwaukee Road Rail-Trail in Thompson Park | Photo by TrailLink.com user jdodge_tl

The Great American Rail-Trail’s own unique journey through 12 states and the District of Columbia, combined with its ties to both National Scenic Trails and National Historic Trails, offers an enriching and meaningful lens through which to see the country.

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Lake at the end of the Patuxent Branch Trail | Photo by TrailLink user dks3405_tl

When Trails United Us: A Look at Iconic People and Projects in America Right Now

Posted 09/10/19 by Ryan Chao in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, District Of Columbia, Great American Rail-Trail, People with Disabilities, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?

RTC launched the Great American Rail-Trail, embarking on a journey to complete the first multiuse trail across America that will be entirely separated from vehicle traffic. The enthusiasm the Great American has inspired is contagious.

Ohio's Great Miami River Trail | Photo by Tom Bilcze

Four Long-Distance Rides Along the Great American Rail-Trail

Posted 08/09/19 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Biking, Connected Systems, District Of Columbia, Encouraging Trail Use, Great American Rail-Trail, Health and Active Living, Healthy Aging, IHTC, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail Use Tips, Walkability and Bikeability, Washington

What better way to experience the beauty of America’s amazingly diverse landscapes than by bicycle? When complete, the Great American Rail-Trail will span some 3,700 miles across 12 states and the District of Columbia, but more than half the route is ready to ride now. Here are four sections of the Great American that span 100 miles or more with minimal on-street connections—perfect for multiday adventuring.

Historic Battlefield Trail | Photo by Mark Lehmann

Find Out Why These Eight Urban Trails Are Perfect for On-Foot Exploration

Posted 04/22/19 by Suzanne Matyas, Amy Kapp in America's Trails, Health and Wellness | Tagged with Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, BATC, Best Of, California, Capital Trails Coalition, Circuit Trails, Connected Systems, District Of Columbia, Florida, IHTC, LowerRioGrande, Maryland, Miami LOOP, Pennsylvania, Route of the Badger, Texas, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, TrailNation, Urban Pathways, Walkability and Bikeability, Wisconsin

Whether you’re venturing to a new city or finally getting around to playing the tourist in your own backyard, walking can connect you in a unique and unequalled way. As a pedestrian, you’re able to access areas motorized vehicles cannot, meet the people that make up a community, experience nature and really immerse yourself in your surroundings.

Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail in Washington | Photo by TrailLink user biggerdawg

A View From … The Great American Rail-Trail

Posted 01/23/19 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Building Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Connected Systems, District Of Columbia, Featured Magazine Articles, Great American Rail-Trail, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, TrailNation, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming

Imagine what’s possible with a trail that connects the country. Imagine ... pedaling across the entire country on a safe, seamless and scenic pathway—or walking a local trail that connects along historic routes. That vision will become a reality thanks to the Great American Rail-Trail, a signature project of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) and the organization’s most ambitious TrailNation™ project yet.

A ride at Lake Artemesia with the Metro Washington Association for Blind Athletes | Photo courtesy MWABA

Metro Washington Association of Blind Athletes Makes Tandem Connections on DC Trails

Posted 12/20/18 by Scott Stark in Trail Use, Success Stories | Tagged with Capital Trails Coalition, District Of Columbia, Health and Active Living, People with Disabilities

“The speed, the freedom, the sense of connection—it’s what made me fall in love with biking,” explained Karla Gilbride. Discussing regular after-work trips down Washington, D.C.’s Capital Crescent Trail on a tandem bike, she describes the hustle and bustle of commuters in Bethesda, the smell of the Potomac River, the feel of the wind whipping past, the cool breezes found near the water’s edge and the sounds of early nightlife in the hip Georgetown neighborhood. What she doesn’t go into are the sights along the trail. Blind since birth, Gilbride, the founder of MWABA, the Metro Washington Association of Bline Athletes, connects with her rides in different ways.

Maryland's WB&A Trail

Posted 06/13/18 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Health and Wellness, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, Capital Trails Coalition, Connected Systems, District Of Columbia, Encouraging Trail Use, Federal, Funding, Local Organizing, Maryland, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, TrailNation, Walkability and Bikeability

The stars seem aligned for Maryland’s WB&A Trail, a straightforward, 13-mile pathway—beautiful in its simplicity and surroundings—that is rapidly becoming a key connector in a growing movement to improve walking and biking options in the Mid-Atlantic region. Linking Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Annapolis by a continuous, safe and scenic trail system is not just a pipe dream—it’s actually happening, and the WB&A Trail has an important place in that vision.

Team RTC cleaning up a section of the Rock Creek Park Trails system with Rock Creek Conservancy in Washington, D.C., for the 2017 Make A Difference Day. | Photo courtesy RTC

It Feels Good to Do Good: Team RTC’s Make A Difference Day Trail Cleanup

Posted 10/27/17 by Suzanne Matyas in America's Trails | Tagged with Community Events, District Of Columbia, Ecology and Environment, Maintenance and Volunteers

Building on the momentum of one of our newest staff traditions, on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017, the Rails-to-Trails team unplugged, donned protective attire and left the office to clean up a local trail in honor of Make A Difference Day.

Tampa Riverwalk, funded by a TIGER grant | Photo courtesy Matthew Paulson | CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

How Funding for Trails Moves America: 5 Trails Funded by TIGER

Posted 08/22/17 by Leeann Sinpatanasakul in America's Trails, Success Stories, Policy | Tagged with Arkansas, Case Studies, District Of Columbia, Federal, Funding, Georgia, Indiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Private Fundraising, State and Federal Programs, Success Stories, Trail Destinations

The federal TIGER program has funded more than $340 million in projects for trails, walking and biking to date—making it a powerful resource for those who want to create multimodal transportation choices in their communities for those who cannot or choose not to drive. Through the leveraging of additional federal, state, local and even private philanthropic sources, the highly competitive program (which also funds highway, freight rail, transit and maritime projects) promotes interplay between all levels of government and the private sector and strikes a good deal for federal transportation investments.

The bike- and pedestrian-friendly Route 52 bridge plays a key role in the region’s growing trail network. | Photo courtesy South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization

New Jersey’s Cape May County Trail Network

Posted 08/01/17 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Connected Systems, District Of Columbia, Featured Magazine Articles, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Trail Destinations

South New Jersey’s Cape May County offers an outdoor recreation mecca within easy driving distance of Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

Converting Unsustainable Roadway to Urban Trail Brings Major Environmental Benefits to D.C. Community

Posted 06/29/17 by Shane Farthing in Building Trails, Trail Use, Success Stories | Tagged with Repairs and Trail Safety, Design Strategies, District Of Columbia, Ecology and Environment, Success Stories

Recent developments with the Klingle corridor show how sustainably designed trail systems can work to solve transportation and environmental issues while benefiting the environment and surrounding community.

View of Potomac River along Capital Crescent Trail | Photo by Milo Bateman

Maryland and Washington, D.C.’s Capital Crescent Trail

Posted 06/13/17 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, Capital Trails Coalition, District Of Columbia, History Happened Here, Maryland, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Forming an emerald arc around western portion of the District of Columbia, the Capital Crescent Trail connects Washington to its Maryland suburbs. The pathway is so lushly wooded that, at times, it might be easy to forget the thrum of the nation’s capital lies just over the trees.