Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

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Trail of the Month

A Stunning Opening Act

With spectacular autumn foliage on full display, the Ashokan Rail Trail opened to the public with an enthusiastic crowd on hand. This 11.5-mile trail—the culmination of more than six years of planning and development—treats visitors to incredible views of the famed Catskills and to the edge of an early-20th-century reservoir that supplies New York City with drinking water.

Visit New York's Ashokan Rail Trail, the December Trail of the Month.

Trailside with Ryan Chao You've Got Questions. Ryan's Got Answers. Ryan Chao joined RTC's Eric Oberg and Brandi Horton to take some questions from trail supporters during this year's Giving Tuesday celebration. Watch the video—and get some answers! Trailside with Ryan Chao is a monthly feature from RTC's president with perspectives on trails and the communities they connect.

Great American Rail-Trail

Cowboy Trail Extension Targets Gap on Great American

In November, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy joined the mayor of Chadron, Nebraska, and the Northwest Nebraska Trails Association to announce an agreement to begin the development of a 5-mile extension of the famed Cowboy Recreation and Nature Trail—part of the Great American Rail-Trail.

The extension will expand the reach and benefits of one of the longest rail-trails in the country to the town of Chadron, and helps close another gap along the Great American.

Learn more from the Norfolk Daily News.

More from the Great American Rail-Trail

Explore our interactive map.
Be a part of the movement: Sign the Great American Rail-Trail Pledge.

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Features

Keith Laughlin Named Rail-Trail Champion

During his 18 years at the helm, former Rails-to-Trails Conservancy President Keith Laughlin helped transform the national movement—from an effort to weave pathways into the American landscape, to a nationwide strategy to create thriving trail networks in pursuit of healthy, connected communities.

Now, we're thrilled to honor his achievements by naming Keith as the 2019 Rail-Trail Champion.

Six Ways You Helped Transform Communities in 2019

This year, America and the rail-trail movement saw giant leaps, and small-but-no-less-important bounds, that have helped to achieve RTC’s goal of connecting the country by trail like never before.

From connecting regional networks to the opening momentum of the Great American Rail-Trail, take a look back at some of our successes of the past year—thanks to our partners and supporters like you!

Showing the Love for Trails on #GivingTuesday! On Giving Tuesday, we hit the trails for live coverage of this global day of giving—and more than 1,700 generous trail lovers made the day an incredible success for trails! Visit our Facebook page to watch our #GivingTuesday videos.

The Perfect Photo (and Video) Op? #OptOutside! Since 2015, millions of people have participated in REI's #OptOutside campaign after Thanksgiving—and this year, many headed out to their favorite trails across the country! Check out some of the incredible entries we received for our photo and video contest—and see the winners!

Bay Area Welcomes New Bike/Ped Crossing

A new 6-mile trail that parallels I-580 in the San Francisco Bay Area officially opened to the public in November. The new path connects to several important segments of the Bay Area Trails Collaborative’s proposed 2,700-mile regional trail network, which will eventually connect all nine Bay Area counties and dozens of communities throughout the region.

Learn more about the first walking and biking pathway connecting the North and East Bay.

Nevada Rail-Trail Gets Boost The developing Historic Virginia and Truckee Trail (fondly referred to as the V&T) inhabits one of the most famous railroads in Nevada history, offering a unique experience for current and future trail users. Now, a recently passed state funding bill will provide a much-needed boost for this fledgeling trail. Read more about the Historic Virginia and Truckee Trail.

Trail Gear for Your Holiday Giving List

From guidebooks to gift memberships to our new Great American Rail-Trail jersey, you'll find great gear for the trail lover on your holiday list at RTC's Trail Shop!

Plus, your gift for others helps support the trails you love!

Order by Dec. 9 to ensure holiday delivery.

Shop Now

Trails Transform

A Gamechanger from Parkersburg to Pittsburgh

A developing trail system extending from Parkersburg, West Virginia, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is known by its short acronym (P2P), but the impact of this 238.5-mile connected pathway will have outsized impacts on dozens of small rural towns.

See how this corridor—part of Industrial Heartland Trails network, one of our TrailNation projects—can be a route to revitalizing the region.

Learn how Trails Transform West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Bold Steps for Our Transportation Future

As Congress begins to address our transportation future, we can take bold steps to transform America with safe, connected trail and active transportation networks.

We have an incredible opportunity to transform America by connecting trail and active transportation networks to shape our transportation future.

Take action now: Tell Congress to make wise investments in trails, walking and biking in the next transportation bill.

Act Now

Best of TrailLink.com

Capital Crescent Trail

The 11-mile Capital Crescent Trail—one of the gateways of the Great American Rail-Trail—follows the former route of the Georgetown Branch rail line of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. It begins in Silver Spring, Maryland, east of the Rock Creek Trestle, and curves west and south through Maryland into Washington, D.C., to end in the heart of historic Georgetown. For the 7 miles between Georgetown and Bethesda, the trail is paved. Between Bethesda and Silver Spring, a 4-mile section is surfaced with crushed stone; this segment is called the Georgetown Branch Trail.

Visit the Capital Crescent Trail

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