Trail Blog by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

View from the Ivanhoe Trestle along New River Trail State Park | Courtesy Virginia DCR

Nine Romantic Trail Destinations That Will Make You Swoon

Posted 02/10/20 by Amy Kapp, Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with BATC, Best Of, California, Great American Rail-Trail, Hall of Fame, Hawaii, IHTC, Iowa, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tourism , Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail Use Tips, TrailNation, Virginia

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we thought it was a great time to bust out this list of top romantic rail-trails in the United States, chosen for their “swoon-worthy” romantic views, date-worthy amenities and just plain good old-fashioned charm. Here are nine, great, date-worthy trail destinations to try and catch cupid’s arrow!

Lake Easton State Park in Washington | Courtesy Washington State Parks

Eight Scenic State Parks for RV Camping Along the Great American Rail-Trail

Posted 01/29/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, Great American Rail-Trail, Hall of Fame, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, TrailNation, Washington

To experience a trail of such length—the Great American spans more than 3,700 miles—some may prefer to hop in an RV to cover greater distances and experience more trails within the route. Near many of these trails, travelers can often find state parks tucked along the banks of scenic rivers or lakes, providing idyllic settings for camping. Here are a few of these picturesque parks along the Great American that are perfect for a long-distance journey of RV-plus-trail.

Oregon's Springwater Corridor | Photo by TrailLink user dabiker

7 Top Trail Picks From Trail Lovers Like You on TrailLink!

Posted 12/31/19 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Alabama, Best Of, Great American Rail-Trail, Hall of Fame, Idaho, Michigan, New Hampshire, Oregon, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Vermont

We have some inspiring rail-trails to keep you motivated throughout 2020! These bucket-list destinations come from some of the top submitters of trail photos on TrailLink.com, which currently lists more than 4,000 multiuse trails across America.

Mississippi’s Tanglefoot Trail

Posted 08/06/19 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Hall of Fame, Local Organizing, Mississippi, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Walkability and Bikeability

Something new came to northeast Mississippi in 2013, winding through a handful of sleepy towns nestled into the bucolic foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and awakening a new sense of community pride. All 43.6 miles of the Tanglefoot Trail opened at once, becoming the longest rail-trail in the state, and connecting these communities together like never before.

It’s Time to Vote for America’s 2019 Rail-Trail Hall of Famer

Posted 07/01/19 by Maggie McAden in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Hall of Fame, Mississippi, New Jersey, Wisconsin

We leave it up to you—America’s trail enthusiasts—to select our 33rd Rail-Trail Hall of Fame inductee! Voting will run July 2–10, and you can vote as many times as you want before the deadline! Please let us know which trail you believe deserves a place among America’s list of most superlative pathways—and encourage your friends and family to vote as well! We’ll unveil the winner on July 19 in the 2019 Green Issue of Rails to Trails magazine.

New York's Walkill Valley Rail Trail | Photo by Drew Dupuy

A Sneak Peek from Our 2019 Guidebook of New Jersey & New York Rail-Trails

Posted 03/27/19 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Circuit Trails, Encouraging Trail Use, Hall of Fame, Health and Active Living, Mapping and Technology, New Jersey, New York, RTC in Action, Tourism , Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Walkability and Bikeability

Within the pages of Rail-Trails: New Jersey & New York, you’ll find exceptional trails offering views of some of America’s most iconic natural treasures, such as the Great Lakes, the Atlantic Ocean coastline, the Adirondacks, the Finger Lakes and the Catskill Mountains. In this new guidebook, we highlight 58 of the region’s top rail-trails and other multiuse pathways, and as its editor, I’m thrilled to present you with this sneak peek of what’s inside. Rail-Trails: New Jersey & New York will be available next month, but here are few excepts and photos from the book to get your wheels turning!

Pennsylvania's Three Rivers Heritage Trail | Photo by Milo Bateman

A Sneak Peek from Rails-to-Trails’ 2019 Pennsylvania Rail-Trails Guidebook

Posted 03/13/19 by Amy Kapp, Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Great American Rail-Trail, Hall of Fame, Pennsylvania, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations

As a native Pennsylvanian, editing our new Rail-Trails: Pennsylvania Guidebook was a project close to my heart. Last summer, nearly two dozen staff members from Rails-to-Trails Conservancy went out to ride the state’s many wonderful trails to verify map data and waypoints (like parking and restrooms), and write detailed descriptions from our firsthand experiences.

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

2020 Vision: New York's “Empire State Trail" Is Making Trails a Main Attraction

Posted 08/09/18 by Scott Stark in America's Trails, Building Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, Facts and FIgures, Featured Magazine Articles, Hall of Fame, Health and Active Living, Local Organizing, New York, Trail Destinations, Trails of the World, Transportation and Health, Urban Pathways, Walkability and Bikeability

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.

Cardinal Greenway, Bridge in Economy | Photo by Angie Pool, Courtesy Cardinal Greenways Inc.

Help Us Pick America’s 2018 Rail-Trail Hall of Famer!

Posted 07/02/18 by Suzanne Matyas in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Hall of Fame, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Trail Destinations, Washington

Our team scoured the states for rail-trails with exemplary scenic value, use, trail and trailside amenities, historical significance, management and maintenance, community connections and other Hall-of-Fame-worthy merits—and though it was difficult, we were able to narrow our choices down to five nominees:

Elizabeth River Trail | Photo by TrailLink user krmurphy

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Reflects on Its 32nd Year As America’s Voice for Trails

Posted 06/12/18 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in America's Trails, Building Trails, Success Stories | Tagged with Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, Best Of, Caracara, Celebrating 30 Years, Connected Systems, Facts and FIgures, Florida, Funding, Hall of Fame, History Happened Here, IHTC, Louisiana, Miami LOOP, Missouri, Nebraska, Rock Island, Route of the Badger, RTC in Action, State and Federal Programs, Success Stories, Texas, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, TrailNation, TrailsTransform, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?, Wisconsin

Here’s just a quick snapshot of our successes in 2017. To learn more about our work, download our FY 2017 Annual Report.

Katy Trail State Park | Photo by Aaron Fuhrman

RTC’s 2018 Doppelt Grants Invest in 9 Trail Projects, Filling Critical Gaps in Trail Funding

Posted 05/22/18 by Eli Griffen in Building Trails, America's Trails | Tagged with California, Connected Systems, Demand for Trails, Funding, Hall of Fame, Idaho, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Trail Communities

Since 2015, RTC’s Doppelt Fund has awarded nearly a half-million dollars in grants to nonprofits and government agencies working to develop and improve multiuse trails. This year, RTC is awarding the most annual funds yet to the most awardees, with more than $140,000 going to 10 worthy recipients.

Chicago Lakefront Trail | Photo by TrailLink user kristincreager

Best Trails of 2017 According to You!

Posted 01/25/18 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Success Stories, Health and Wellness, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, California, Circuit Trails, Connected Systems, Demand for Trails, Ecology and Environment, Encouraging Trail Use, Hall of Fame, Health and Active Living, History Happened Here, IHTC, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Route of the Badger, TrailNation, Vermont, Walkability and Bikeability

America has an amazing collection of multiuse trails with scenery and experiences as diverse as the country itself. More than 3,800 trails are currently included on TrailLink.com, our nationwide trail-finder database—and more are added every week. Here, are the top 10 most-viewed trails by the 7 million+ trail enthusiasts who visited the website last year.

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