Trail Communities

Shining a Light on the Transformative Impact of Trails in the Quad Cities

Posted 09/12/19 by Brandi Horton in Building Trails, Policy, America's Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, Demand for Trails, Facts and FIgures, Great American Rail-Trail, Illinois, Iowa, Local Organizing, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, TrailNation, TrailsTransform

The Riverfront and Great River trails, both host trails of the Great American and “spines” of a regional trail system between the states. Yet, while those trails have been so important to the region’s riverfront revitalization strategy, there is much more benefit that could be realized if two key gaps are filled, one in the Riverfront Trail in Davenport, Iowa, and the “Critical Gap Connector” between the Great River Trail and the Hennepin Canal Parkway in Illinois.

Michigan’s Falling Waters Trail

Posted 09/11/19 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Michigan, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Trail Use Tips, Walkability and Bikeability

Michigan’s Falling Waters Trail serves as a beloved community connector, linking the outskirts of the vibrant City of Jackson to the picturesque Village of Concord, which brims with Victorian homes. Though this destination rail-trail is on the shorter side at 10.5 miles, it’s onto something big. Actually, two really big things: it’s nestled within the Great Lake-to-Lake Trail route spanning the entire Lower Peninsula from Lake Michigan to Lake Huron, as well as the even more massive Iron Belle Trail, which connects 2,000-plus miles of trail all across the state.

When Trails United Us: A Look at Iconic People and Projects in America Right Now

Posted 09/10/19 by Ryan Chao in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, District Of Columbia, Great American Rail-Trail, People with Disabilities, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?

Four Long-Distance Rides Along the Great American Rail-Trail

Posted 08/09/19 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Biking, Connected Systems, District Of Columbia, Encouraging Trail Use, Great American Rail-Trail, Health and Active Living, Healthy Aging, IHTC, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail Use Tips, Walkability and Bikeability, Washington

What better way to experience the beauty of America’s amazingly diverse landscapes than by bicycle? When complete, the Great American Rail-Trail will span some 3,700 miles across 12 states and the District of Columbia, but more than half the route is ready to ride now. Here are four sections of the Great American that span 100 miles or more with minimal on-street connections—perfect for multiday adventuring.

Trail Tourism Adventures Await Along Salmonberry Corridor in Oregon

Posted 08/08/19 by Nick Miller in America's Trails, Building Trails | Tagged with Oregon, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, TrailsTransform, Walkability and Bikeability, Wild and Wonderful

On the outskirts of Oregon’s largest city, there lies a treasure trove of outdoor adventure and wonder—the Salmonberry Trail, a planned multiuse trail stretching more than 84 miles through vast forests, deep valleys and coastal terrain. Oregon’s most ambitious rail-trail project to date, the Salmonberry Trail will eventually connect the urban center of Portland to the rich rural landmarks of Rockaway Beach, and towns like Wheeler and Timber, ending at Tillamook near the Oregon Coast. In the future, the trail could also help make up a coastal trail system from the City of Portland to the coast, and a larger loop that also links to major natural treasures in the state such as the Cascade Range and Columbia Gorge.

Mississippi’s Tanglefoot Trail

Posted 08/06/19 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Hall of Fame, Local Organizing, Mississippi, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Walkability and Bikeability

Something new came to northeast Mississippi in 2013, winding through a handful of sleepy towns nestled into the bucolic foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and awakening a new sense of community pride. All 43.6 miles of the Tanglefoot Trail opened at once, becoming the longest rail-trail in the state, and connecting these communities together like never before.

Florida’s Palatka-to-Lake Butler State Trail

Posted 07/15/19 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Success Stories | Tagged with Ecology and Environment, Florida, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail of the Month, Transportation and Health, Wild and Wonderful

Two hours north of Disney World, Palatka serves as something of a Magic Kingdom for outdoor recreation with a handful of scenic, long-distance trails converging in this riverside town. Earlier this year, this burgeoning trail hub—tucked along the St. Johns River in Florida’s northeast corner—was officially designated as a Trail Town in the state’s new program recognizing “vibrant destinations where people come together.”

The Longleaf Trace Is a Beautiful Beacon for Health, Revitalization in Mississippi

Posted 07/12/19 by Maggie McAden in America's Trails | Tagged with Mississippi, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, TrailsTransform, Walkability and Bikeability

Lined with a diverse array of foliage, the 43-mile Longleaf Trace takes trail users from Prentiss to Hattiesburg, connecting three counties and multiple towns as it rambles through tunnels, over bridges and along woods and wetlands. The trail—a beacon for outdoor enthusiasts—has spurs that connect to parks, campgrounds and lakes.

Wyoming’s Platte River Trail

Posted 06/07/19 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Success Stories | Tagged with Best Of, Funding, Great American Rail-Trail, Health and Active Living, History Happened Here, Local Organizing, State and Federal Programs, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Wyoming

Ten miles of paved pathway now thread through a handful of beloved parks, rolling out along the water’s edge under a canopy of cottonwoods in Wyoming’s second largest city. A momentary pause on the Platte River Trail might yield a glimpse of a pronghorn antelope or mule deer darting through the underbrush, or an eagle or osprey searching for a meal in the river.

RTC’s Doppelt Fund Supports 10 Multiuse Trail Projects in 2019

Posted 05/30/19 by Eli Griffen in Building Trails | Tagged with Repairs and Trail Safety, Colorado, Demand for Trails, Florida, Funding, Georgia, Heritage and Restoration, Iowa, Local Organizing, Maintenance and Volunteers, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Rail-with-Trail, RTC in Action, Trail Communities, Virginia, Washington

With National Trails Day just around the corner, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2019 Doppelt Family Trail Development Fund grant program!

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.