Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail in Washington | Photo by TrailLink user biggerdawg
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.
Since 2015, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has been connecting hundreds of walkers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey to healthier lifestyles through Prescribe-a-Trail (PAT), a program in which Philadelphia-area hospitals and health-care organizations lead outings on local trails along the Circuit Trails network (an RTC TrailNation™ project) to promote exercise, good nutrition and healthy lifestyles.
Trail crossing over the White River along the Cardinal Greenway near the McCulloch Riverview Trailhead in Muncie, Indiana | Photo by Tony Valainis
Decades ago, a disused railroad line found new life, becoming the Cardinal Greenway, Indiana’s longest rail-trail. But with some ambitious new projects planned, the newest member of the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame—which is also celebrating its 25th anniversary as a trail in 2018—is about to experience yet another rebirth.
Urban Tilth community garden | Photo courtesy Urban Tilth
What’s better than a farmers’ market or community garden for providing locally grown food and encouraging good eating? Why, a market or garden next to a trail, of course! Here are three that are leading the charge for food equity, healthy lifestyles and social interaction in America’s underserved communities.
A jogger on the Hudson River Valley Greenway catches the last rays of the day’s light as the sun sets behind the New Jersey skyline. | Photo by Scott Stark
New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced in early January 2017 his $200 million plan to lay down 350 miles of new trails in three years to bridge the gaps in two major existing routes—the east-west Erie Canalway Trail and the north-south Hudson River Valley Greenway—and knit them together into the greater Empire State Trail (EST). Shaped like a giant sideways T intersecting near Albany, the EST will connect three corners of the state: Manhattan, Buffalo and the Canadian border near Lake Champlain.
The 10.7-mile Shining Sea Bikeway provides a tranquil experience in Cape Cod, one of New England's popular summer destinations. | Photo by Leeann Sinpatanasakul, courtesy Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Even now, some of my fondest childhood summer memories are of making the drive to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, for a week’s vacation with my extended family. The only bikeway on Cape Cod to feature a seaside section—is the perfect way to combine both summer treats, trail and beach, for an unforgettable experience.
The Atlantic Greenway in South Beach is part of Florida’s 225-mile developing Miami LOOP. | Photo by Lee Smith
Approximately 54 percent complete to date, the Miami LOOP is a 225-mile trail vision to expand transportation options, make biking and walking safer and more equitable, strengthen the regional economy, reduce the area’s carbon footprint, and improve health and wellness across Miami-Dade County.
The Miami LOOP is a project of the Miami-Dade Trail Alliance and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy through its TrailNation™ program. Learn more: railstotrails.org/miami.
The Ronald Kirk pedestrian bridge (left) and the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge over the Trinity Skyline Trail, Dallas, Texas
A new era is upon us—one we’re calling the Age of Connectivity, both for its genesis in technology and its potential to reconnect people and places. This is a time when trails—our communities’ greatest connectors—will work hand in hand with innovation.
Eldorado Bicycle and Walking Path in Illinois | Photo by Gary Wilhelm
In addition to their value for recreation and transportation, rail-trails provide public spaces to share our collective culture and history. In recognition of Veterans Day, we’ve highlighted three rail-trails that offer quiet, reflective places to honor and remember our country’s servicemen and women.
Blue Springs trailhead, Chief Standing Bear Trail, Nebraska | Photo by Don Rice
The 22.9-mile Chief Standing Bear Trail helps memorialize the 1877 walk of the Ponca Tribe back to their homeland, led by Chief Standing Bear and known as the Ponca Trail of Tears.
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
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.
It’s a fitting way for Canada to celebrate its 150th birthday: In 2017, The Great Trail will be fully connected, enabling people to cross the country on a series of greenways, waterways and on-road routes to experience Canada’s rugged wilderness, rural beauty, historical attractions, vibrant cities and charming small towns up close.
