Tourism

Five Rail-Trails for Marveling at National Monuments

Posted 06/01/17 by Suzanne Matyas in Trail Use | Tagged with California, Georgia, Idaho, Minnesota, New York, Tourism and Economic Development, Trail Destinations

A view of the Statue of Liberty as seen from the High Line | Department of Agriculture | public domain

There are countless special places in America, but only about 100 have been distinguished enough to be called national monuments. Scattered throughout the U.S., many of them have or are near trails—lucky for trail lovers! Here’s a short list of five rail-trails that’ll help you reach, explore and admire some of these incredible places.

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The trail offers unbeatable views of the Pittsburgh skyline | Photo by Kelly Carter, courtesy Friends of the Riverfront

Pennsylvania’s Three Rivers Heritage Trail

Posted 04/07/17 by Laura Stark in Trail Use, America's Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, Local Organizing, Pennsylvania, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Spiraling outward from downtown Pittsburgh, the 24-mile Three Rivers Heritage Trail traces the banks of three waterways—the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio—that lifted the city to prominence as America’s industrial powerhouse. The development of this paved pathway, which began more than 25 years ago, sparked a biking revolution that is continuing to turn the famed “Steel City” into “Wheel City.”

View of the Brays Bayou Greenway Trail in Hermann Park. | Courtesy Bob Bohmer Photography

Texas’ Brays Bayou Greenway Trail

Posted 02/03/17 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Texas, Tourism , Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

While not generally known for its greenspace, Houston—the country’s fourth most populated city—is onto something big. Something Texas-sized big: the Bayou Greenways 2020 project, which aims to complete a 150-mile network of trails along the city’s major waterways in just a few year’s time. Houston is home to seven lengthy bayous and two creeks (engendering the fitting nickname of the Bayou City) stretching from the city’s western boundary to Galveston Bay. The longest of these, the Brays Bayou, is the close companion of the Brays Bayou Greenway Trail, which spans more than 30 miles, connecting several parks and running just a couple blocks north of NRG Stadium, where this year’s Super Bowl is taking place.

In Windham, the Hop River Trail meets the Air Line Trail on this bridge over the Willimantic River. | Courtesy Connecticut DOT-DEEP

Connecticut’s Hop River State Park Trail

Posted 01/19/17 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Connecticut, Tourism , Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

It’s hard to pick a favorite season to experience the Hop River State Park Trail, set amidst the dense forests of Eastern Connecticut. Sections of the 20-mile rail-trail dive through steep rock cuts that seep moisture, giving the feeling of air conditioning in summer and freezing into glistening ice falls in winter. Maples and oaks bring fiery autumn hues and, in the spring, trilliums and other wildflowers speckle the brush with color. Add three tunnels and a covered bridge and the trail’s picturesque backdrop is complete.

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, 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.

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.

The trail's rocky tunnel is located on the northern end of the route | Photo by J. Foster Fanning courtesy Ferry County Rail Trail Partners

Washington's Ferry County Rail Trail

Posted 10/10/16 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Tourism , Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Washington

It sounds too good to be true. Northeast Washington’s Ferry County Rail Trail winds through a forested valley carved by the pristine Kettle River, passes through an otherworldly rock tunnel and crosses a 770-foot trestle that skims over a vast lake. Framed by mountains, the 25-mile trail is especially breathtaking this time of year, brightened with the golden hues of aspen, western larch and cottonwood. Every few miles, a quaint town welcomes visitors in a place so remote there’s not even a single stoplight in the whole county.

An equestrian trail parallels the Pine Creek Rail Trail between Ansonia and Tiadaghton | Photo by Linda Stager, author of the Pine Creek Rail Trail Guidebook

Pennsylvania’s Pine Creek Rail Trail

Posted 09/15/16 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Pennsylvania, Tourism , Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

We’re going to let you in on a little secret: If you’re looking for a trail trip to take this fall, stop your Google searching; northern Pennsylvania’s Pine Creek Rail Trail offers the perfect outdoor destination for autumn (or any season, really). Stretching 62 miles through a pristine valley dubbed the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, the variety of trees here—sugar maple, red maple, ash, oak, white pine and hemlock—form an ever-changing kaleidoscope of landscapes. In this lush wilderness, travelers will often cross paths with deer or, much less frequently, black bears.

Grand Teton Multi-use Pathway/Greater Yellowstone Trail, Wyoming | Photo by Camrin Dengel

Five Rail-Trails in America’s National Parks

Posted 08/11/16 by Suzanne Matyas in Trail Use, America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Ecology and Environment, Idaho, Kentucky, Montana, Ohio, Tourism , Trail Destinations, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

Rail-trails travel through some of America’s most iconic places—including our national parks, which officially turn 100 years old this year (Aug. 25)! On the eve of the U.S. National Park Service centennial, we thought it was a great time to bring you this list of five national park rail-trails, which dot the country’s landscapes from the Great Lakes to Western Washington. So lace up your shoes—and go explore!

Ke Ala Hele Makalae offers expansive views of the Kauai coast | Photo by Kevin Clark

Hawaii's Ke Ala Hele Makalae

Posted 08/03/16 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Hawaii, Tourism , Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Kauai is picture perfect—literally. Hawaii’s “Garden Isle,” blanketed in emerald green rainforests and encircled with soft, sandy beaches has been featured in dozens of movies and TV shows. The dinosaurs of Jurassic Park, the monstrous beast of King Kong and the adventurous Indiana Jones have all roamed its mountainous terrain and mysterious jungles. Hugging the island’s Coconut Coast, the musical sounding Ke Ala Hele Makalae provides an easy way to experience a piece of this paradise in 7.3 miles of paved pathway along the eastern shoreline.

High Trestle Trail | Photo by David V. Johnson

Iowa's High Trestle Trail

Posted 07/14/16 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Iowa, Tourism , Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Like the entrance to an alien starship, the fantastical channel of blue lights along the signature bridge of central Iowa’s High Trestle Trail beckons curious travelers to explore. Wrapped in 43 twisting diamond-shaped steel ribs lined with LED lights, the bridge is meant to elicit the sensation of traveling down a mine shaft, a nod to the area’s coalmining history. Towering 130 feet above the Des Moines River, it is just as impressive in daylight, providing an ever-changing picture of the scenic river valley hung with an elaborate frame.