Missouri

Missouri Trail Patron and Conservationist Pat Jones Passes Away at 93

Posted 12/19/18 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in America's Trails, Building Trails | Tagged with Champions, Missouri, Rail-Trail Champion, Rural Communities

Pat Jones (left) on Katy Trail State Park in Missouri | Photo courtesy Missouri Department of Natural Resources/Twitter

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy was deeply saddened to learn that Hilda P. Jones—known to family members, friends and colleagues as “Pat,” passed away on Dec. 17 at her home in Williamsburg, Missouri. Pat and her husband the late Edward Jones, who died in 1990, are known for their important contributions to the conservation movement, including supporting the creation of two epic rail-trails in Missouri: the 240-mile Katy Trail State Park and the developing 144-mile Rock Island Trail.

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A highlight of the future Rock Island Trail is the bridge over the Gasconade River near Freeburg, which spans 1,776 feet. | Photo courtesy Missouri Rock Island Trail Inc.

The Rock Island Trail Is a 144-Mile Would Be Game-Changer for Missouri

Posted 12/17/18 by Cindy Barks in Taking Action, Building Trails | Tagged with Corridors and Railbanking, Missouri, Rock Island, RTC in Action, Tourism and Economic Development, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations

All along a 144-mile stretch of Missouri’s old Rock Island Line, rural communities formerly known as railroad towns have been looking forward to a new possibility: a multiuse trail that would revitalize the long-unused train tracks.

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, Celebrating 30 Years, Connected Systems, Facts and FIgures, Florida, Funding, Hall of Fame, History Happened Here, IHTC, Louisiana, LowerRioGrande, 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.

Brent Hugh, executive director of the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation, speaks at the rally. | Photo by Brandi Horton

Six Ways RTC Made a Difference for Trails This Year

Posted 11/30/17 by Brandi Horton in America's Trails, Building Trails, Policy, Taking Action | Tagged with Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, BATC, Best Of, California, Circuit Trails, Disparities and Underserved Communities, Encouraging Trail Use, Facts and FIgures, Florida, Funding, Local Organizing, Mapping and Technology, Maryland, Miami LOOP, Missouri, Route of the Badger, RTC in Action, State and Federal Programs, Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Communities, Walkability and Bikeability

As 2017 draws to a close, here’s a look back at six ways RTC made a difference for trails. Through our work, we witness trails strengthening economies, putting people first when it comes to mobility, promoting health and protecting our environment.

Supporters of the Rock Island Trail rallied at the state Capitol in Jefferson, Missouri. | Photo by Brandi Horton

Rallying for Missouri’s Rock Island Trail

Posted 08/15/17 by Brandi Horton in America's Trails, Building Trails, Taking Action | Tagged with Community Events, Demand for Trails, Local Organizing, Missouri, Rock Island, RTC in Action, Rural Communities, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities

I’m just coming off of a trip to Jefferson City, Missouri, where I met dozens of people who live along the Rock Island rail corridor. Hearing their stories about what this future trail means to their lives affirmed the importance of the work that we are doing. Beyond that, though, it affirmed how critical this trail is to the well-being of the small towns it will pass through.

A view from the Katy Trail bridge in Windsor looking down on Rock Island Trail State Park. | Courtesy Missouri Rock Island Trail, Inc.

Missouri's Rock Island Trail State Park

Posted 12/05/16 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Missouri, Rock Island, Tourism , Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Just in time for the holidays, a stunning new rail-trail has arrived in Missouri. Opening Dec. 10, the 47.5-mile Rock Island Trail State Park is notable for its length—and its connection to an even longer trail: the renowned Katy Trail State Park, which, at 237.7 miles, nearly crosses the entire state. While the Katy Trail stops short of Kansas City, a forthcoming extension of the Rock Island Trail will march right to the city’s doorstep, making it possible to utilize both trails to travel between the state’s two largest cities, Kansas City and St. Louis, without a car.

A collage featuring photos submitted to RTC's "I Support Trails!" Photo Contest

Picture Perfect: Check Out These Gorgeous Trail Photos from Our 2016 #OptOutside

Posted 12/02/16 by Suzanne Matyas in Trail Use, America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Encouraging Trail Use, Missouri, Wild and Wonderful

In celebration of REI’s campaign to #OptOutside on Black Friday, Nov. 25, we asked you to share how you spend time outdoors and on the trail through our “I Support Trails!” Photo Contest— and we were completely blown away by the positive response.

Trail's End Monument in Sedalia, 35 miles east of the Katy Trail's western end in Clinton, celebrating Sedalia's history as the first "cow town" | Photo by Danielle Taylor

Pathway to Prosperity: Missouri's Katy Trail Is a Beautiful Model for Commerce

Posted 12/02/16 by Danielle Taylor in America's Trails, Success Stories | Tagged with Featured Magazine Articles, Missouri, Tourism and Economic Development, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations

Missouri’s nickname—the “Show Me State”—reflects its residents’ prudent tendency to question unsubstantiated claims, so when early proponents of the Katy Trail began advocating for its creation in the mid-1980s, it was only natural that their assertions of increased tourism and economic prosperity met with a few skeptics. However, the trail has proved its worth several times over in the quarter-century since it opened, and it now supports more than 400,000 recreational users each year as well as dozens of communities and hundreds of small businesses statewide.

Photo courtesy Missouri Rock Island Trail, Inc.

Final Missouri Rock Island Trail Segment Confirmed in 450-Mile Trail Network

Posted 10/01/15 by Amy Kapp in Building Trails, America's Trails | Tagged with Demand for Trails, Missouri, Rock Island, Success Stories

On Sept. 30, 2015, Jackson County, Missouri, Executive Mike Sanders and KCATA President Joe Reardon announced that a cooperative agreement was reached to purchase a 17.7-mile section of disused Rock Island Corridor stretching from Kansas City to Lee’s Summit for future rail-trail conversion. This is the last peg in the planned 200-plus-mile Rock Island Trail and a 450-mile trail network that spans the width of the state.

Photo courtesy En Why | CC by 2.0

World-Class Trail Network in Missouri Just Got 47 Miles Closer to Reality

Posted 09/23/15 by Liz Thorstensen in Building Trails, America's Trails | Tagged with Demand for Trails, Missouri, Rock Island

On Sept. 17, 2015, Governor Jay Nixon announced the planned completion of 47 miles of trail from Windsor to Pleasant Hill, Missouri. This project comes on the heels of another significant announcement—the railbanking of 144 miles of the former Rock Island Line between Windsor and Beaufort, Missouri. Together, these developments take on epic significance, suggesting the potential for a world-class trail system.