Trail of the Month

Tennessee’s Tweetsie Trail

Posted 10/13/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, Health and Active Living, Tennessee, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Walkability and Bikeability

Tweetsie Trail entrance in Johnson City | Courtesy Carter County Tourism

Nestled into the recreational playground of northeastern Tennessee, the Tweetsie Trail connects two charming towns in the Appalachian foothills, following a railroad corridor that once snaked through the mountains and crossed into North Carolina.

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Caperton Trail bridge at the mouth of Deckers Creek in Morgantown | Courtesy RTC

Mon River Rail-Trail System (West Virginia)

Posted 09/09/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, TrailNation, West Virginia

Branching out from its nexus in Morgantown, home to West Virginia University, the Mon River Rail-Trail System comprises 48 miles of seamlessly connected pathway featuring an ensemble cast of environments.

Anacostia River views from the trail | Photo by Joe Flood

Washington, D.C., and Maryland’s Anacostia River Trail

Posted 08/13/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Capital Trails Coalition, District Of Columbia, Equity, Heritage and Restoration, History Happened Here, Maryland, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, TrailNation

Just beyond the iconic monuments and museums that make up the central core of Washington, D.C., lies one of the area’s best kept secrets: the Anacostia River Trail, a 20-mile route along the city’s eastern waterway that offers an extraordinary tapestry of experiences on its journey to Bladensburg, Maryland.

Little Beaver Creek Greenway Trail | Photo by TrailLink user jsusany324

Ohio’s Little Beaver Creek Greenway

Posted 07/13/20 by Robert Annis in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, IHTC, Ohio, Tourism , Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

the Little Beaver Creek Greenway introduces visitors to the beauty and history of the Appalachian foothills. Located in a former railroad depot, the Lisbon trailhead is about a quarter mile from the actual start of the greenway. From there, the trail gradually rises about 450 feet over its 12.5-mile length, running north to Washingtonville.

Tacony Creek Trail | Photo by Thom Carroll

Pennsylvania’s Tacony Creek Trail

Posted 06/09/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Circuit Trails, Connected Systems, Delaware, Ecology and Environment, Equity, Maintenance and Volunteers, Pennsylvania, Trail of the Month, TrailNation

Philadelphia is tucked between two major rivers, the Delaware to the east and the Schuylkill to the west; between them, Tacony Creek—a tributary of the Delaware—runs its course through the city’s northeast neighborhoods. In this densely populated pocket, the 3.2-mile Tacony Creek Trail, paved and smooth as a river stone, flows along the waterway under the hush of tall old-growth trees.

Milwaukee Road Rail Trail in Thompson Park | Photo by Preston Keres, courtesy USDA Forest Service

Montana’s Milwaukee Road Rail-Trail (Thompson Park)

Posted 05/11/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Biking, Great American Rail-Trail, Maintenance and Volunteers, Montana, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Wild and Wonderful

Framed by the majestic Rocky Mountains, Montana’s Milwaukee Road Rail-Trail (Thompson Park) sits roughly equidistant between two national parks—just a half-day’s drive from both Yellowstone and Glacier.

Recently completed Cohas section of the Londonderry Rail Trail | Courtesy Londonderry Trailways

New Hampshire’s Londonderry Rail Trail

Posted 04/06/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Building Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Connected Systems, Federal, Funding, Local Organizing, Maintenance and Volunteers, New Hampshire, RTC in Action, State and Federal Programs, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

About a 45-mile drive northwest of Boston, the Londonderry Rail Trail in the quaint southern New Hampshire town of Londonderry offers locals a slice of tranquility in an otherwise upside-down world with a 4.5-mile jaunt through verdant forests and wildlife-rich wetlands and along scenic ponds.

Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge | Photo by John Carrel

Nebraska and Iowa’s Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge

Posted 03/10/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, Federal, Great American Rail-Trail, Iowa, Nebraska, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, TrailNation, Walkability and Bikeability

Floating sinuously over America’s longest waterway, the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge straddles the Missouri River between bustling Omaha—Nebraska’s largest city—and the quieter-feeling hometown of Council Bluffs, Iowa. The graceful structure, once hotly debated, played a transformational role in the riverfront’s redevelopment and continues to serve as a catalyst for upcoming projects.

Thermal Belt Rail Trail bridge over Highway 74 | Photo by Dana Bradley

North Carolina’s Thermal Belt Rail Trail

Posted 02/11/20 by Cindy Barks in America's Trails, Trail Use, Health and Wellness | Tagged with Best Of, Funding, Health and Active Living, Healthy Aging, Heritage and Restoration, History Happened Here, North Carolina, RTC in Action, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Today, the 13.58-mile Thermal Belt Rail Trail lies where the old Southern Railroad, and later the Thermal Belt Railway, once ran. The trail has been a boon for Rutherford County on a number of levels.

MCT Goshen Trail | Photo courtesy Metro East Park & Recreation District

Illinois’ MCT Goshen Trail

Posted 01/13/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Connected Systems, Corridors and Railbanking, Demand for Trails, Illinois, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Madison County Transit—the “MCT” part of the trail name—owns and manages nearly 140 miles of trails, which connect more than 20 communities and allow residents to get virtually anywhere within the county. With a newly opened extension of the MCT Goshen Trail, travelers can now also access neighboring St. Clair County by trail for the first time. Providing even more transit options for locals, many of St. Clair County’s trails are being developed to intertwine with MetroLink, the region’s light rail system.

Ashokan Rail Trail opening | Courtesy New York City Department of Environmental Protection

New York’s Ashokan Rail Trail

Posted 12/03/19 by Cory Matteson in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Ecology and Environment, Heritage and Restoration, New York, Trail of the Month

Though the trail opened in autumn, the ART, as it’s colloquially called, offers year-round views. The area abounds with red maples, birch and eastern white pine trees, and features protected wetlands and a 525-foot boardwalk. The Catskill Mountains, once an inspiration to famed Hudson River School artists and conservationists like Thomas Cole and Asher Durand, beckon from the ART.

Nashua Rail River Trail | Photo by Milo Bateman

Massachusetts and New Hampshire’s Nashua River Rail Trail

Posted 11/08/19 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Local Organizing, Maintenance and Volunteers, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

New England in autumn is nature’s spectator sport, and a special place to view its riotous colors is the Nashua River Rail Trail, spanning just over 12 miles in Massachusetts and spilling into New Hampshire.