trailnation

Top 10 Trails in Pennsylvania

Posted 01/08/21 by Amy Kapp in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Circuit Trails, IHTC, Pennsylvania, Top10, Trail Destinations, TrailNation

Great Allegheny Passage (gaptrail.org) | Photo by Milo Bateman

Check out RTC's list of Pennsylvania's top 10 trail, which travel through major metropolitan areas, by some of America’s most treasured historical and cultural sites, and through the breathtaking wilderness and viewscapes that make the state a premier outdoor destination.

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Florida's Legacy Trail | Photo by Brian Gerhardstein

Top 10 Trails in Florida

Posted 01/01/21 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Florida, Miami LOOP, Top10, Trail Destinations, TrailNation

The Sunshine State’s plethora of pathways—including nearly 60 rail-trails—connect travelers to this diverse array of beautiful landscapes and unique communities. Even better, with some of the flattest geography in the United States, these top trails are suitable for just about everyone.

Photo by India Kea

Looking Back, With Gratitude, on a Year of Challenges and Triumphs for Trails

Posted 12/23/20 by Amy Kapp, Paola Tejada Lalinde in America's Trails, Success Stories, Policy, Building Trails | Tagged with Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, BATC, Best Of, Capital Trails Coalition, Caracara, COVID-19, Federal, Funding, Great American Rail-Trail, IHTC, Route of the Badger, RTC in Action, Trail Moments, TrailNation, Why Use Trails?

As 2020 draws to a close—a year of extreme changes and challenges—it is with incredible appreciation that we reflect on the collective impact of our movement across the country.

The Baltimore Network Trail Networks will build new trail infrastructure along a BGE utility corridor in north east Baltimore, linking the future east side rail trail to the Herring Run Trail. | Courtesy Molly Gallant

Baltimore Greenway Trails Network Builds Paths for Connectivity and Economic Growth

Posted 12/07/20 by Paola Tejada Lalinde in Building Trails | Tagged with Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, Connected Systems, Maryland, TrailNation

A new study found that the Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition—which seeks to connect existing trails in the city’s three stream valleys—could create new transportation alternatives for 75 diverse neighborhoods while generating millions in economic, health and social benefits, ultimately serving as a critical strategy in the city’s bid to create a more sustainable and equitable future for the city and its residents.

Tacony Creek | Photo by Thom Carroll

When Trails Connect Everyone, Everywhere

Posted 12/01/20 by Ryan Chao in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Connected Systems, Equity, Great American Rail-Trail, RTC in Action, Trail Moments, TrailNation, TrailsTransform

Throughout this year, as we’ve continued to galvanize the trails movement in a virtual world, the movement itself has inspired us—in particular, the stories so many have shared of the moments of joy, respite, healing and strength they have found on the trail. The impact of our work in this time has brought urgency and focus to our path forward.

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.

Birdwatching in Tacony Creek Park | Courtesy Tookany-Tacony Frankford Watershed Partnership

Philly Birder Takes Fledgling Bird Enthusiasts Under His Wing

Posted 09/01/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Circuit Trails, Ecology and Environment, Encouraging Trail Use, Equity, Featured Magazine Articles, Trail Moments, Trail Use Tips, TrailNation, Wild and Wonderful

“For me, the special part of those experiences has been having so many different types of people participating,” enthused Keith Russell. “You have families come out with kids and people who are in their 70s and 80s. I’m always so thrilled that you have such diversity; birding doesn’t just attract one section of the community or one type of person.”

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, 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.

Pennsylvania's Three Rivers Heritage Trail | Photo courtesy Healthy Ride, Pittsburgh Bike Share

Eight Urban Experiences Along the Great American Rail-Trail

Posted 08/10/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, District Of Columbia, Great American Rail-Trail, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Trail Destinations, TrailNation, Washington, Wyoming

The Great American Rail-Trail, covering some 3,700 miles across the country, will be accessible by nearly 50 million people within 50 miles of the route. Here is a sampling of some of the unique close-to-home experiences that city dwellers along the way can already enjoy.

Photo by Side A Photography

Building a Brighter Future

Posted 07/02/20 by Ryan Chao in America's Trails | Tagged with COVID-19, Great American Rail-Trail, RTC in Action, TrailNation

The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear that trails are essential assets for the well-being of people and places, and our country needs a trail in every community. While FY 2019 in many ways seems like a distant time, our work last fiscal year, and the decades leading up, positioned us to meet the current moment and be part of helping to shape a brighter future.

Baltimore, MD | Photo by Side A Photography

What We Mean When We Say We Are “Standing Against Racism”

Posted 06/10/20 by Ryan Chao in Taking Action | Tagged with Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, BATC, Capital Trails Coalition, Caracara, Circuit Trails, COVID-19, Equity, Route of the Badger, TrailNation

When we spoke out in response to the troubling and damaging displays of racism and violence against Black people these past few weeks, we heard from many of you standing in solidarity. But we also got many questions—about the prevalence of experiences of inequity and injustice in the outdoors as well as what we’re doing about it.

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.