Walkability and Bikeability

When Trails United Us: A Look at Iconic People and Projects in America Right Now

Posted 09/10/19 by Ryan Chao in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, District Of Columbia, Great American Rail-Trail, People with Disabilities, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?

A Serious Injury Changed Cyclist Ian Mackay’s Life. Trails Helped Him Rebuild It.

Posted 08/27/19 by Scott Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use, Health and Wellness | Tagged with Champions, Design Strategies, Great American Rail-Trail, People with Disabilities, Trail Use Tips, Walkability and Bikeability, Washington, Why Use Trails?

A motorized wheelchair powered by sip-and-puff inputs coupled with the ever-improving voice recognition capabilities of a smartphone offered Mackay a degree of independence, and allowed him to get outside without a caregiver at his side at all times. The Olympic Discovery Trail, a rail-trail that runs near his home, called to him. “That trail is where I found my solace,” Mackay said. “I was a field biologist before. I spent a ton of time outside.” Now, he said, “I could start exploring the Pacific Northwest on my own and appreciate those loves I had before I was injured.”

Four Long-Distance Rides Along the Great American Rail-Trail

Posted 08/09/19 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Biking, Connected Systems, District Of Columbia, Encouraging Trail Use, Great American Rail-Trail, Health and Active Living, Healthy Aging, IHTC, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail Use Tips, Walkability and Bikeability, Washington

What better way to experience the beauty of America’s amazingly diverse landscapes than by bicycle? When complete, the Great American Rail-Trail will span some 3,700 miles across 12 states and the District of Columbia, but more than half the route is ready to ride now. Here are four sections of the Great American that span 100 miles or more with minimal on-street connections—perfect for multiday adventuring.

Trail Tourism Adventures Await Along Salmonberry Corridor in Oregon

Posted 08/08/19 by Nick Miller in America's Trails, Building Trails | Tagged with Oregon, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, TrailsTransform, Walkability and Bikeability, Wild and Wonderful

On the outskirts of Oregon’s largest city, there lies a treasure trove of outdoor adventure and wonder—the Salmonberry Trail, a planned multiuse trail stretching more than 84 miles through vast forests, deep valleys and coastal terrain. Oregon’s most ambitious rail-trail project to date, the Salmonberry Trail will eventually connect the urban center of Portland to the rich rural landmarks of Rockaway Beach, and towns like Wheeler and Timber, ending at Tillamook near the Oregon Coast. In the future, the trail could also help make up a coastal trail system from the City of Portland to the coast, and a larger loop that also links to major natural treasures in the state such as the Cascade Range and Columbia Gorge.

Mississippi’s Tanglefoot Trail

Posted 08/06/19 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Hall of Fame, Local Organizing, Mississippi, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Walkability and Bikeability

Something new came to northeast Mississippi in 2013, winding through a handful of sleepy towns nestled into the bucolic foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and awakening a new sense of community pride. All 43.6 miles of the Tanglefoot Trail opened at once, becoming the longest rail-trail in the state, and connecting these communities together like never before.

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.

E-Bikes Got This Baby Boomer Back on the Trail After Asthma

Posted 05/22/19 by Libby and Martin Rose in Trail Use, Health and Wellness | Tagged with Biking, Encouraging Trail Use, Health and Active Living, Healthy Aging, Mapping and Technology, Motorized Use, Trail Use Tips, Transportation and Health, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?

Riding an e-bike for the first time was exhilarating. I met my first electric bicycle in California wine country, home to hills that challenged my lungs. A one-day rental there led to a weeklong adventure in Hawaii, followed by my first of two e-bike purchases three years ago. Since then, I’ve logged more than 1,000 road and trail miles, and for me, it’s been a win-win. No more sitting on the side of the road waiting to be picked up because I could go no farther, and no fear of ending up in the hospital due to an asthma attack.

Seeds Planted for California's 300-Mile Great Redwood Trail

Posted 05/17/19 by Laura Cohen in Building Trails, America's Trails | Tagged with California, Champions, Connected Systems, Ecology and Environment, RTC in Action, Rural Communities, Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Destinations, Walkability and Bikeability, Wild and Wonderful

Hundreds of trail enthusiasts gathered in Arcata, California, on May 4, for a Town Hall to learn more about the Great Redwood Trail—a 300-mile proposed walking and biking trail that would stretch from the shores of San Francisco Bay to the redwoods of Eureka on Humboldt Bay, highlighting California’s wine country as well as some of the state’s most treasured and remote natural areas.

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.

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.