Heritage and Restoration

10 More Game-Changing Rail-Trails

Posted 06/10/16 by Amy Kapp in America's Trails, Success Stories | Tagged with Best Of, Celebrating 30 Years, Connected Systems, Heritage and Restoration, Tourism and Economic Development, Transportation and Health

Martin Olav Sabo Bridge over Hiawatha Avenue along the Midtown Greenway in Minnesota | Photo courtesy Tony Webster | CC by 2.0

Earlier in 2016, we posted "Ten Trails That Helped Build the Movement" in honor of RTC’s 30th anniversary in 2016. But of course, with almost 2,000 completed rail-trails across the country, we just scratched the surface. In 1986, there were only 250 miles of rail-trails. Three decades later—thanks to a lot of passionate people—rail-trails have transformed America. Here are 10 more game-changing rail-trails (in no particular order) that have had an impact, as destinations, recreation magnets, economic drivers or transportation connectors, in the U.S.

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Ricker Miller of Andover guides a recovered 1,400-pound milepost back into its proper place beside the Northern Rail Trail. | Photo by Ed Hiller

100-Plus-Year-Old Mileposts Returned to New Hampshire Rail-Trail

Posted 12/10/15 by Amy Kapp in Building Trails, America's Trails | Tagged with Signage and Amenities, Heritage and Restoration, History Happened Here, Maintenance and Volunteers, New Hampshire

Here’s a fun one for all of you railroad history buffs; volunteers have just returned another 1,400-pound granite milepost to its original position along the Northern Rail Trail in Boscawen, New Hampshire—part of an ongoing effort to recover and return all 58 to their original positions between Concord and Lebanon. Only seven remain missing!

Heritage Rail Trail County Park | Photo by John Gensor, courtesy Steam Into History

Pennsylvania’s Heritage Rail Trail County Park and Maryland’s Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail

Posted 09/18/15 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Hall of Fame, Heritage and Restoration, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

The visionary Grand History Trail began rather humbly. Nearly a decade ago, Don Gogniat was sitting at a meeting of the York County Rail Trail Authority, and as he listened to those around him talking about the region’s trails, he began quietly sketching them out on a napkin. As he added the trails line by line, he saw something exciting begin to take shape: a map of a potential 250-mile Grand History Trail connecting dozens of historical sites and historically significant cities, including the nation’s capital, Annapolis, Baltimore, York, Hanover and Gettysburg.

Heritage Rail Trail County Park | Photo by John Gensor

Top 10 Rail-Trails for American History: A Fourth of July List

Posted 07/02/15 by Jake Lynch in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Heritage and Restoration

This Independence Day weekend, celebrate the birth and growth of America by riding or striding into the past. These former railroad corridors are deeply rooted in American tradition, trials and triumphs, and they provide accessible and inexpensive getaways. We hope you enjoy this list of Top 10 Rail-Trails for American History!

THE TUNNEL: A Documentary Film About the Creation, and Re-Creation, of the Blue Ridge Railroad Tunnel

Posted 06/10/14 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in America's Trails | Tagged with Heritage and Restoration, Virginia

American Focus, Inc. is producing a documentary film about the Blue Ridge Tunnel, a 19th-century railroad tunnel located in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Crozet, Va. Directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Paul Wagner, the film will have a dual purpose: to document an important and fascinating chapter in Virginia history, and to provide a case study of how local preservationists work together to save and celebrate their places and their stories.

Photos © Root River Trail Towns

Rich with Heritage: Minnesota’s Root River Trail System

Posted 04/16/14 by Katie Harris in America's Trails | Tagged with Heritage and Restoration, Minnesota, Wild and Wonderful

Minnesota is full of hidden treasures. Tucked away between the bluffs of the southeast corner of the state, a 60-mile, paved trail meanders along the winding, trout-filled Root River. This region is rich with the wildlife, scenery and Scandinavian heritage that’s so celebrated in Minnesota, and it can all be seen along the Root River Trail System!

Photo © Charissa Thacker

Florida's Blountstown Greenway Bike Path

Posted 01/01/14 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Florida, Heritage and Restoration, Overcoming Opposition, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Straddled between two well-known tourist hubs in the Florida Panhandle is Blountstown, a small city in Calhoun County with only two traffic lights. Nonetheless, it is a growing destination. At the center of this movement is the Blountstown Greenway Bike Path, which was taken from an unlikely prospect to the "heartbeat of the community" by a surprising trail hero, a radio-station owner.

Photo © Iron Ore Heritage Trail

How They Did It: 47 Miles Across Michigan's Iron Range

Posted 11/12/13 by Carol Fulsher in Building Trails, Success Stories | Tagged with Heritage and Restoration, Michigan, Wild and Wonderful

It's rapidly garnering attention as one of Michigan's most exciting rail-trail projects - the 47-mile Iron Ore Heritage Trail deep into the Marquette Iron Range of the Upper Peninsula. As the trail continues to grow, RTC caught up with the driving force behind the trail's remarkable grassroots effort, Carol Fulsher, for her take on the significance of the Iron Ore Heritage Trail to Michigan's past, and its future.

History Happened Here: A Journey to Gettysburg

Posted 11/12/13 by James Porterfield in America's Trails | Tagged with Heritage and Restoration, Maryland, Pennsylvania

This year on November 19 we commemorate the 150th Anniversary of Lincoln's brief - just over 270 words - Gettysburg Address. It is thought by many to be the greatest speech ever delivered on American soil. You can retrace much of Lincoln's route to Gettysburg, and stand on the spot he occupied at Hanover Junction, using either of two rail-trails that mark the route of the former Northern Central Railway.

Photo of park dedication © National Park Service

How We Can Preserve the Character and Landscape of the Great Smokies

Posted 08/23/13 by Marianne Wesley Fowler in America's Trails | Tagged with Heritage and Restoration, Tennessee

Call it virtual travel! We explored the renaissance of urban cycling in Memphis and a unique trail in Central Tennessee, and celebrated with the locals at the announcement of federal grants for new recreational trails projects. We wrap up our Tennessee month today with a glance back, and glimpse forward.