Trail of the Month Page 4

Nebraska's MoPac Trail East and West

Posted 05/12/15 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, Nebraska, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Mopac Trail West | Photo courtesy Market to Market Relay

Exciting change is literally afoot in the Cornhusker State. Omaha currently ranks among the top 50 of America’s Best Bike Cities, and less than a dozen miles separate its trail system from Lincoln’s. The MoPac Trail, which will join them, is also a key piece of a bigger puzzle, the developing Quad State Trail, a regional network which will span more than 700 miles in four Midwestern states: Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri.

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Photo by Scott Hagan | Courtesy Clark County, Nevada

Nevada’s Lower Las Vegas Wash Trail

Posted 04/10/15 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, Cross-Sector Collaboration, Nevada, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Las Vegas: The name conjures up bright lights, flamboyant shows, glitzy hotels and casinos that never close, but a growing outdoor movement is changing that perception. Get the scoop on the 13.4-mile Lower Las Vegas Wash Trail, which comprises the trail network’s eastern arc and is always a sure bet with beautiful parks, desert landscapes and vistas of the rugged mountains that ring the valley.

Midway across the span of the Chartiers Creek Bridge | Photo courtesy Kordite | CC by 2.0

Pennsylvania's Montour Trail

Posted 03/16/15 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Building Trails, Success Stories | Tagged with Local Organizing, Maintenance and Volunteers, Pennsylvania, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

In terms of rail-trail mileage, Pennsylvania dominates, but in a crowded field, the Montour Trail—which forms a 55-mile arc around western Pittsburgh—is a standout with plenty of “wow” moments.

Photo by Steve Shaluta, courtesy Mon River Trails Conservancy

West Virginia's Mon River Trails

Posted 02/11/15 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, IHTC, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, West Virginia, Wild and Wonderful

“Wild and Wonderful” is West Virginia’s slogan, but the same could be said of the Mon River Trail system in the north-central part of the state. The beauty of the trail network spiraling out of Morgantown is that you have access to four trails—and four unique experiences—all in one interconnected system spanning nearly 50 miles.

View of the Kinnickinnic River from the trail | Photo by John December

Wisconsin's Kinnickinnic River Trail

Posted 01/13/15 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Success Stories, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Wisconsin

The story of Milwaukee’s Kinnickinnic River Trail is the story of its eponymous river; paralleling each other through the city’s south side, the fate of the two is intimately intertwined. The KK River Trail, as it’s known locally, is also referred to as the “lost river.”

View of frozen Cherry Pond and the Presidential Range | Photo by John Compton

New Hampshire’s Presidential Range Rail Trail

Posted 12/09/14 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with New Hampshire, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Winter Uses

We’ve found New Hampshire’s best-kept secret—the Presidential Range Rail Trail—and winter is the perfect time to visit it. With a long snowy season, generally running between mid-December and early April, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy its spectacular views on a pair of Nordic skis or snowshoes.

Photo credit Tom Bilcze

Pennsylvania's Allegheny River Trail

Posted 09/16/14 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Champions, Pennsylvania, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Wild and Wonderful

Unparalleled natural beauty? Check. Welcoming towns with friendly people? Check. Unique historical sites and a smooth, easy riding surface? Check, check. The 32-mile Allegheny River Trailin northwestern Pennsylvania seemingly has it all for a perfect getaway. And it's on the cusp of being even better; peak fall colors are expected to arrive in early to mid-October; the trail, lined with oaks, maples, elms and other tree varieties will be spectacular.

Photo by Eddie Watson, courtesyColumbia Parks and Recreation Department

Missouri's MKT Nature and Fitness Trail

Posted 08/01/14 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Missouri, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

True to its name, within minutes, travelers on the MKT Nature and Fitness Trail are spirited away from lively downtown Columbia, Mo., and taken into the forest. Although the city is so close at hand, it's forgotten in the company of wild turkeys, deer and a flash of orange as a fox darts across the path. The trail—just a tad shy of nine miles—is serene with the soft crunch of feet on crushed stone, the rustle of leaves overhead and the gentle gurgle of its many creek crossings.

Photo © Dan Pieniak

Michigan's Macomb Orchard Trail

Posted 07/01/14 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Michigan, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

A dusky red barn sits atop a grassy slope as wispy white clouds stir in the sky above; a placid cow strolls by and a creek runs playfully beneath a small wooden bridge. This scene, seemingly from some sweet dream, is the everyday reality on the Macomb Orchard Trail. About 30 miles north of Detroit, Mich., the rail-trail is pure rural Americana, a paved ribbon winding through rolling farm fields, vivid green tree canopies and friendly Midwestern towns.

Photo © Jordan Hart

Ohio's Great Miami River Trail

Posted 06/01/14 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, Ohio, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

For those whose hearts call out for adventure as the summer begins in earnest, the fully paved, sinuous Great Miami River Trail irresistibly beckons. Nestled within western Ohio's Miami Valley, the 86-mile trail winds through woodsy parks beneath the soft rustle of tall, broad-leafed trees, quietly glides into the rich green and gold hues of farm country, and resonates with all the vibrancy and excitement of Dayton at its center.