Tourism Page 18

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.

Photo © TrailLink.com

A True Story of Liberty and Transportation in Vermont

Posted 02/18/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Case Studies, Facts and FIgures, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Vermont, Walkability and Bikeability

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's (RTC) new report on walking and biking in small town and rural America, Active Transportation Beyond Urban Centers, has really struck a chord with members across the country, and transformed the political debate about where the demand really is for walking and biking infrastructure.

Down East Sunrise Trail, completed in 2

Path to Prosperity in Downeast Maine

Posted 06/02/11 by Mark Cheater in America's Trails | Tagged with Maine, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Stimulus

As a child, Bill Robinson used to ride his bike out to watch trains rumble slowly by on Maine Central Railroad's Calais Branch line, which bisected his family's property in northeastern Maine. Today, Robinson—now 39—has a new way of greeting traffic through his land: he's built a cozy, watertight wooden shelter, picnic tables and two campsites next to the former rail line, which was recently reborn as the 85-mile Down East Sunrise Trail.