Tourism and Economic Development

Get Your Kicks on Route 66, Illinois’ Trail

Posted 05/14/19 by Matthew Horne in America's Trails | Tagged with Illinois, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Destinations, TrailsTransform

The Historic Route 66 sign | Photo courtesy iStock by Getty Images

Roll the windows down, turn the music up, and meander through dry deserts and rolling hills—the iconic journey of Route 66, the most famous road in America, the “Mother Road”—stretching thousands of miles from Illinois to California. Imagine interacting with this historic treasure without the roaring of engines or taste of exhaust fumes, by foot, by bike or on a horse? This is what Illinois’ Route 66 Trail is working to achieve: a long-distance trail from Chicago to St. Louis; an opportunity to revitalize communities and experience Route 66 as never before.

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Cedar Valley Nature Trail | Photo by Liz Zabel, courtesy GO Cedar Rapids

Iowa’s Cedar Valley Nature Trail

Posted 05/14/19 by Cory Matteson in America's Trails, Trail Use, Health and Wellness | Tagged with Best Of, Ecology and Environment, Great American Rail-Trail, Health and Active Living, History Happened Here, Iowa, Local Organizing, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Walkability and Bikeability, Wild and Wonderful

Depending on who you ask, the Cedar Valley Nature Trail is either 52 miles long (the original length) or about 67 miles thanks to extension projects in Linn County. The trail’s website includes maps for both iterations. Both versions begin in Evansdale to the north and run south through a collection of small towns (Gilbertville, La Porte City, Brandon, Urbana, Center Point, Robins and Hiawatha) before reaching Cedar Rapids and, as the longer tally accounts for, now Ely.

When complete, the Great American Rail-Trail will span more than 3,700 miles across 12 states and the District of Columbia. | Illustration by Anderson Design Group

From Dream to National Treasure: The Great American Rail-Trail

Posted 05/08/19 by Laura Stark, Brandi Horton in America's Trails, Building Trails | Tagged with Featured Magazine Articles, Great American Rail-Trail, Tourism and Economic Development, Trail Destinations, TrailNation

When complete, the Great American Rail-Trail will span more than 3,700 miles across 12 states and the District of Columbia—connecting Washington, D.C., and Washington State, and highlighting some of America’s most pristine geography, iconic landmarks and renowned cultural treasures in hundreds of communities along the route.

Pony Express station at the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center | Photo courtesy Bureau of Land Management | CC by 2.0

16 Historic Highlights Along the Route of the Great American Rail-Trail

Posted 05/08/19 by Cory Matteson, Amy Kapp in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, Connected Systems, Featured Magazine Articles, Great American Rail-Trail, History Happened Here, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tourism and Economic Development, Trail Destinations, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming

Unique in makeup and geography, each trail that’s hosting the 3,700-miles-plus preferred route of the Great American Rail-Trail has many stories to tell—some as old as, or far older than, our country itself. Both well known and lesser known, the histories found along the route demonstrate why the “Great American” is a true national treasure.

Historic Battlefield Trail | Photo by Mark Lehmann

Find Out Why These Eight Urban Trails Are Perfect for On-Foot Exploration

Posted 04/22/19 by Suzanne Matyas, Amy Kapp in America's Trails, Health and Wellness | Tagged with Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, BATC, Best Of, California, Capital Trails Coalition, Circuit Trails, Connected Systems, District Of Columbia, Florida, IHTC, LowerRioGrande, Maryland, Miami LOOP, Pennsylvania, Route of the Badger, Texas, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, TrailNation, Urban Pathways, Walkability and Bikeability, Wisconsin

Whether you’re venturing to a new city or finally getting around to playing the tourist in your own backyard, walking can connect you in a unique and unequalled way. As a pedestrian, you’re able to access areas motorized vehicles cannot, meet the people that make up a community, experience nature and really immerse yourself in your surroundings.

Photo by Eva Garcia

A Grand Slam: 2019 Opening Day for Trails

Posted 04/16/19 by Suzanne Matyas in America's Trails, Trail Use, Health and Wellness | Tagged with Repairs and Trail Safety, Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, BATC, California, Capital Trails Coalition, Circuit Trails, Community Events, Demand for Trails, Encouraging Trail Use, Health and Active Living, Healthy Aging, IHTC, Local Organizing, New Jersey, Ohio, OpeningDay, Pennsylvania, Route of the Badger, RTC in Action, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail Use Tips, TrailNation, Walkability and Bikeability, Wisconsin, Young Champions

On Saturday, April 13, people across the country kicked off the spring trail season on Opening Day for Trails (Opening Day). For the last seven years, Opening Day has brought trail newbies and long-timers together to say goodbye to winter and get outside on America’s spectacular trails and trails systems.

Warren County Bikeway | Photo courtesy Eric Pfau

New York’s Warren County Bikeway

Posted 04/16/19 by Robert Annis in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, Connected Systems, Encouraging Trail Use, Health and Active Living, New York, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, TrailsTransform, Walkability and Bikeability

The Warren County Bikeway runs 10 miles between Glens Falls and Lake George, about an hour’s drive north of Albany. Riders pedal over rolling hills, past historic sites and picturesque New England villages, and through lush forests filled with pine and cedar trees. The trail is paved, but there’s a 1.5-mile section that takes riders off the path and along lightly traveled suburban streets and the Glens Falls Country Club.

Lower Rio Grande Valley Active Plan biking tour in Brownsville, TX | Photo by Frontera Media

Major Trail Developments, New Potential Funding Streams in the Lone Star State

Posted 03/25/19 by Andrew Dupuy in Policy | Tagged with Disparities and Underserved Communities, Funding, Local Organizing, LowerRioGrande, RTC in Action, State and Federal Programs, Texas, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, TrailNation, TrailsTransform

With the Texas Legislature currently in its every-other-year session, RTC and the Texas Coalition for State Parks are actively supporting legislation to ensure that an existing sporting goods tax originally intended for parks and recreational space—including trails—actually goes to parks (and trails). 

Lift bridge, Hennepin Canal, night view | Courtesy of Hennepin Hundred

Illinois’ Hennepin Canal Parkway

Posted 03/11/19 by Cindy Barks in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Great American Rail-Trail, Illinois, Local Organizing, Maintenance and Volunteers, Threats to Trail Building, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Walkability and Bikeability

Now, with its 112-year history, the Hennepin Canal Parkway seems a natural for its latest chapter—as a “gateway trail” in the nearly 4,000-mile Great American Rail-Trail, a cross-country route planned by Rails to Trails Conservancy (RTC) to stretch across the United States, from Washington, D.C., to Washington State.

Photo courtesy Prairie Corridor Foundation

Developing Trail in Lincoln Celebrates Nebraska’s Tallgrass Prairie Legacy

Posted 02/13/19 by Matthew Horne in Policy | Tagged with Connected Systems, Ecology and Environment, Heritage and Restoration, Nebraska, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, TrailsTransform, Walkability and Bikeability

Welcome to Nebraska’s tallgrass prairie, a rapidly disappearing ecosystem that Nebraskans are racing to preserve—and they hope to do just that with a new corridor and trail: the Prairie Corridor on Haines Branch.

Tony Knowles Coastal Trail | Photo by Jody O. Photos, courtesy Visit Anchorage

Alaska’s Tony Knowles Coastal Trail

Posted 01/15/19 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Alaska, Best Of, Biking, Demand for Trails, Encouraging Trail Use, Heritage and Restoration, History Happened Here, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Transportation and Health, Walkability and Bikeability, Wild and Wonderful, Winter Uses

With views of the rugged Chugach Mountains and tidal inlets, Alaska’s Tony Knowles Coastal Trail offers a breathtaking experience unlike any other rail-trail in the country. Learn more in our Trail of the Month feature.

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.