Trail Blog by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Palatka-to-Lake Butler State Trail | Photo by Britte Lowther

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.

Along the Platte River Trail by the Tate Pumphouse | Photo courtesy of Platte River Trails

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.

Potential Midtown Greenway extension over the Mississippi River | Photo courtesy Midtown Greenways Coalition

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!

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.

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.

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.

New York's Walkill Valley Rail Trail | Photo by Drew Dupuy

A Sneak Peek from Our 2019 Guidebook of New Jersey & New York Rail-Trails

Posted 03/27/19 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Circuit Trails, Encouraging Trail Use, Hall of Fame, Health and Active Living, Mapping and Technology, New Jersey, New York, RTC in Action, Tourism , Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Walkability and Bikeability

Within the pages of Rail-Trails: New Jersey & New York, you’ll find exceptional trails offering views of some of America’s most iconic natural treasures, such as the Great Lakes, the Atlantic Ocean coastline, the Adirondacks, the Finger Lakes and the Catskill Mountains. In this new guidebook, we highlight 58 of the region’s top rail-trails and other multiuse pathways, and as its editor, I’m thrilled to present you with this sneak peek of what’s inside. Rail-Trails: New Jersey & New York will be available next month, but here are few excepts and photos from the book to get your wheels turning!

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).

Pennsylvania's Three Rivers Heritage Trail | Photo by Milo Bateman

A Sneak Peek from Rails-to-Trails’ 2019 Pennsylvania Rail-Trails Guidebook

Posted 03/13/19 by Amy Kapp, Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Great American Rail-Trail, Hall of Fame, Pennsylvania, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations

As a native Pennsylvanian, editing our new Rail-Trails: Pennsylvania Guidebook was a project close to my heart. Last summer, nearly two dozen staff members from Rails-to-Trails Conservancy went out to ride the state’s many wonderful trails to verify map data and waypoints (like parking and restrooms), and write detailed descriptions from our firsthand experiences.

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.

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