Tourism Page 17

Photo © Mountain Division Alliance

Rail-Trail Extension Brings Activity, Attention to Fryeburg, Maine

Posted 09/22/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails, Success Stories | Tagged with Demand for Trails, Maine, Tourism and Economic Stimulus

The people of Fryeburg in southwestern Maine are celebrating. Their New Hampshire neighbors in Conway are envious. What's the source of all the fuss? A new section of the Mountain Division Trail is finished and set to open next week, and already the local residents and business people are anticipating it will build on the successes of the first phase.

Photo of pioneers in Loup Valley, Custer County, NE © Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Exhibit the Perfect Reason to Plan Your Own Trail Journey

Posted 07/11/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in America's Trails | Tagged with Heritage and Restoration, Maryland, Tourism and Economic Stimulus

The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park, better known as the C&O Canal towpath, is one of the most popular trails in the region, with hikers and riders drawn to its flat gradient, the history of the corridor, and the small, welcoming communities along the trail between D.C. and Cumberland, Md.

Photo © Rails-to-Trails Conservancy/Jake Lynch

Thanks to Towpath, Cycling Culture Thriving in Williamsport, Md.

Posted 06/20/12 by Jake Lynch in America's Trails | Tagged with Demand for Trails, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Sojourn Series, Tourism and Economic Stimulus

The first person I met in Williamsport, Md., was the town clerk, Donnie Stotelmyer. He was on the phone with the local fire chief, finding a way to hook us up with water for a giant shower truck and 250 hot and thirsty riders. A few moments earlier he had opened the restrooms in town hall for us to use, organized a discount rate at the swimming pool, and was generally bending over backwards to accommodate the droves of arriving riders on the 2012 Greenway Sojourn.

Photo courtesy Emily | CC BY-NC 2.0

In Brunswick, Md., Trail Business is Booming

Posted 06/19/12 by Jake Lynch in America's Trails | Tagged with Maryland, Pennsylvania, Sojourn Series, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses

I had read plenty of data and economic reports about the financial impact of trails tourism. And I had seen the trailhead parking lots full of vehicles with bike racks and horse trailers, seen the trail wayfinding signs going up outside small town burrito places, cafes and grocery stores. But arriving yesterday afternoon in Brunswick, a small town along the C&O Canal towpath in Maryland, I saw and felt the phenomenon of trail tourism like never before.

Photo © Gainesville Community Development Department

Former Rail Line in Georgia Now a Development Asset in Gainesville

Posted 05/25/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in America's Trails | Tagged with Georgia, Tourism and Economic Stimulus

It's been 140 years since a railway once propelled the tremendous growth of Mule Camp Springs--a small trading post in northern Georgia--into a city of thousands. Today, that same rail corridor is driving growth of a new kind in the city now known as Gainesville.

Illinois Rail-Trail Ride Perfect for First-Timers

Posted 05/15/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Encouraging Trail Use, Illinois, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Wild and Wonderful

Covering a spectacular triangle loop of rail-trails west of Chicago, GITy Up! is purposefully designed for those who haven't done many long rides before but are keen to take the plunge. The route is flat and largely car-free, and there will be plenty of mechanical and gear support on-hand.

Photo of North Central State Trail © TrailLink.com/David Yates

Michigan Reaps the Dividend of Growing Rail-Trail Network

Posted 04/06/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in America's Trails, Success Stories | Tagged with Case Studies, Champions, Facts and FIgures, Michigan, Tourism and Economic Stimulus

At Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's (RTC) 25th Anniversary celebration last year, we recognized the trail-blazing achievements of Carolyn Kane and the late Fred Meijer, two Michiganders who during the past few decades have made a remarkable contribution to the development of America's rail-trail network.