Trail of the Month Page 7

Otago Central Rail Trail, New Zealand

Posted 12/01/12 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Overcoming Opposition, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Trails of the World

This month, fans of the popular Lord of the Rings movies are eagerly anticipating the latest installment of the acclaimed series, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. For an experience in Middle Earth, adventurers both tall and small can take their own journey along the Otago Central Rail Trail, a well-kept gravel pathway running 150 kilometers (more than 90 miles) through the region where many of the film's sequences were shot.

Grant's Trail, Missouri

Posted 11/01/12 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, Heritage and Restoration, Missouri, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Only 10 miles from the famed Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Mo., fittingly lies Grant's Trail. Like the arch, which was built as a monument to westward expansion, the trail follows a former rail line that set out with an ambitious goal to reach all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Even though the tracks never made it that far, the trail has preserved much of the corridor's pioneering history and spirit.

Glacial Drumlin State Trail, Wisconsin

Posted 09/01/12 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Wisconsin

Wisconsin's 52-mile Glacial Drumlin State Trail follows the corridor of a former passenger railroad that some speculate was built by the Chicago and Northwestern Railway purely for political convenience. Completed in 1882, the Milwaukee and Madison Air Line provided a straight shot through rural countryside and several small communities to connect two of the state's most important cities—but very little in-between.

Mammoth Cave Railroad Bike and Hike Trail, Kentucky

Posted 08/01/12 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Kentucky, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Wild and Wonderful

Kentucky is perhaps best known for its horses, bluegrass and bourbon, but beneath the rolling hills of the state's Green River valley lies a natural treasure unmatched in the world: Mammoth Cave. With 390 miles of passages, it's the world's longest cave, more than double the length of its closest competitor. And now, thanks to the nine-mile Mammoth Cave Railroad Bike & Hike Trail, this geologic wonder is accessible by rail-trail.

Greenbrier River Trail bridge | Photo by TrailLink.com/gregblume

Greenbrier River Trail, West Virginia

Posted 06/01/12 by Jake Lynch in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Hall of Fame, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, West Virginia, Wild and Wonderful

The Greenbrier River Trail, through Greenbrier and Pocahontas counties in east-central West Virginia, is the perfect embodiment of these sensations. In its 78-mile length, the rail-trail contains many of the elements that make the Mountain State one of America's favorite retreats: the peaks and valleys, the lush forests, the pioneering history, the genuine hospitality of its small towns, and, of course, the river.

Olympic Discovery Trail, Washington

Posted 05/01/12 by Mark Cheater in America's Trails | Tagged with Local Organizing, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Washington, Wild and Wonderful

Although the novels are set in real locations on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, you won't find any of Twilight's gothic drama if you journey there. What you will find, however, is plenty of natural drama—snow-capped mountains, verdant rainforests, rocky coasts, pristine lakes—and a rail-trail running through it.

Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, Connecticut

Posted 04/01/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in America's Trails | Tagged with Connecticut, Heritage and Restoration, State and Federal Programs, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

When it comes to layers of history, few pathways can top the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. This central Connecticut corridor started life as a waterway, then turned into a railroad, then became a multi-use trail. Lately, it's become a crucial link in an ambitious 3,000-mile greenway from Florida to Maine.

Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail, Nevada

Posted 03/01/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in America's Trails | Tagged with Heritage and Restoration, Nevada, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Looking for a safe bet in Las Vegas? You won't find it at the gaming tables or the slot machines in casinos along the Strip. But if you head just 30 miles southeast of the city toward Hoover Dam, you'll find a sure winner in the Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail (sometimes referred to as the Historic Railroad Hiking Trail).