Trail of the Month Page 8

Idaho's Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes and Route of the Hiawatha

Posted 10/01/10 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Hall of Fame, Idaho, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Route of the Hiawatha | Photo by Milt Hull

For trail lovers around the country, these two Idaho rail-trails hardly need an introduction: the 73-mile Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes and the 15-mile Route of the Hiawatha. They've been featured multiple times in Rails to Trails magazine, and in countless "Tell Us" responses, letters and summer remembrances. We receive gorgeous trail photos from family trips—some capturing the high-wire trestles of the Hiawatha, deep in the Bitterroot Mountains; others catching moose and expansive lake views along the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes.

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Pond along Longleaf Trace | Photo courtesy Eric P | CC BY-NC 2.0

Mississippi's Longleaf Trace

Posted 08/01/10 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Hall of Fame, Mississippi, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

In Mississippi's Piney Woods country, vast forests of longleaf and slash pines once ruled the landscape. Much of that original growth disappeared in the timber boom that lasted into the 1920s, but you can still find plenty of remnants and recovering woodlands that give the state its familiar matting of pine straw and pine cones. So if you're keen to needle your way across the Pine Belt, and to re-trace the path of industry and settlement in Mississippi, you won't find a more appropriate route than the 40.25-mile Longleaf Trace.

Arizona's Peavine and Iron King Trails

Posted 07/01/10 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in America's Trails | Tagged with Arizona, Best Of, Hall of Fame, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

To say that the rail-trails of Prescott and Prescott Valley are an oasis in sunbaked, north-central Arizona is no exaggeration. Wherever water touches this arid landscape—and it does along the Prescott Peavine National Recreation and Iron King trails—jade cottonwoods cluster, popping out against the desert's pale yellow and burnt brown pallet. And, at 5,200 feet above sea level, with cool breezes tempered by hot sunshine, the two communities are ideal for trail trips in the late winter and spring.

South Dakota's George S. Mickelson Trail

Posted 05/01/10 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Hall of Fame, South Dakota, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

With every curve and contour, the Mickelson Trail noses its way through the best of the Black Hills like a bloodhound. Indeed you'll feel as though you're hot on the scent of every stunning view. The result is a showcase tour of evergreen forests, rocky canyons, prairie-scapes, old mining towns and Wild West heritage.

Ohio's Little Miami Scenic Trail

Posted 12/01/09 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Hall of Fame, Ohio, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Before the railroads reached Xenia, Ohio, locals had to depend on turnpikes and other back roads for travel between nearby communities. Those often unreliable routes made commerce a real slog in wet weather and icy winters. But after the Little Miami Railroad arrived in 1845, Xenia suddenly found itself fluidly connected to markets in Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton and beyond. Trains through town shuttled everything from Civil War recruits and ammunition to farm goods and faraway passengers. On a map, Xenia looked like the hub of a great bicycle wheel, with rail spokes shooting out in from almost every direction.

Michigan’s Pere Marquette Rail-Trail

Posted 10/01/09 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Hall of Fame, Michigan, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

One of the hallmarks of rail-trails is the comfort and convenience of enjoying them. Their steady grades keep hills manageable and curves gradual, and wide corridors allow for plenty of users and different uses. What may seem like natural ease, though, is often the product of meticulous planning and maintenance. And few pathways take more pride in upkeep and user experience than the 30-mile Pere Marquette Rail-Trail of Mid-Michigan, which runs from Midland to Clare. There's no pea under the mattress on this evenly paved trail, and visitors are always quick to point out what a pleasant ride the Pere Marquette provides.

Rhode Island's East Bay Bicycle Path

Posted 09/01/09 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Hall of Fame, Rhode Island, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

For most people, commuting to work is not something you savor. Yet Geoff Williams has a different perspective. Since he began working for Brown University in 2005, he pedals into downtown Providence, R.I., year-round on the 14-mile East Bay Bicycle Path (EBBP)—often stopping to snap photos on the way. "It's gorgeous every morning," says Williams. "I find myself slowing down sometimes, because it's so nice to ride along there."

Georgia's Silver Comet Trail and Alabama's Chief Ladiga Trail

Posted 06/01/09 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in America's Trails | Tagged with Alabama, Best Of, Georgia, Hall of Fame, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Since this past fall, a new rhythm now links the neighboring states as well: the soft thud thud of footfalls and the steady whir of bicycle tires. In September 2008, a celebration opened the State Line Gateway Park, finally joining the 61.5-mile Silver Comet Trail in Georgia and the 33-mile Chief Ladiga Trail in Alabama.

Indiana's Monon Trail

Posted 03/01/09 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Hall of Fame, Indiana, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

With all the hoop legends and speedsters of Indianapolis lore, you might think a trail would have a hard time getting noticed there. But in the heart of Indiana's heartland, one rail-trail stands shoulder-to-shoulder with all of its Hoosier peers: the Monon Trail. You'll hear it praised from coast to coast, and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy just named the pathway to the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame.

Virginia's Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park

Posted 12/01/08 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in | Tagged with Best Of, Hall of Fame, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Virginia

You'll find the eastern trailhead of the 44.8-mile Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Railroad Regional Park in Arlington, smack in the middle of northern Virginia's vibrant scene and only a few miles from downtown D.C. Cars stream by on Four Mile Run Drive, and a couple blocks away traffic honks and hums along Interstate-395 in a never-ending rush-hour blur. Untouched in this urban tangle, though, is the newest member of RTC's Rails-Trail Hall of Fame—the paved W&OD trail, which strings visitors through backyards and quiet neighborhoods on its unblinking route west into the rolling countryside of Virginia.

California's Bizz Johnson National Recreation Trail

Posted 11/01/08 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, California, Hall of Fame, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

California's coastal climes, though famous for Mediterranean summers and mild winters, don't often produce much variation throughout the year. Yet if you head a few hundred miles northeast of San Francisco—just east of the Sierra and Cascade mountain ranges—you'll find craggy canyons and upland forests that cycle through four distinct seasons. And you won't find better exposure to these changes than on the 25.4-mile Bizz Johnson National Recreation Trail, which carves through the Susan River Canyon between the communities of Susanville and Westwood.

Wisconsin's Elroy-Sparta State Trail

Posted 09/01/08 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Hall of Fame, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Wisconsin

Much is memorable about Wisconsin's 32-mile Elroy-Sparta State Trail, but visitors often leave especially chirpy about the pathway's three tunnels—and particularly the spontaneous chorus of singing and whistling that echoes through them on busy days. David Snyder of Milwaukee, Wis., first rode the trail in October 2007, and he still beams about the fun of passing through the musical darkness.