Chances are, there’s a rail trail near you. Since 1986, the Rails to Trails Conservancy (RTC) has turned abandoned and unused railway corridors into multi-use paths. As the conservancy says in its mission statement, “we are building a nation connected by trails. We reimagine public spaces to create safe ways for everyone to walk, bike and be active outdoors.” You’ll also find runners, wheelchair users, inline skaters, and sometimes even cross-country skiers or horseback riders on the more than 25,000 miles of open rail trails.
The RTC recently noticed a tipping point in rail trail appreciation. “We used to say there’s a rail-trail in every single state, and now we can say there’s at least one developing trail network in every state,” said Brandi Horton, vice president of communications for the RTC, in a statement. “It matters so much because it illustrates the relevance of trail networks to the nation. This is happening literally everywhere in America.”
Here are five of the most exciting RTC developments from 2023.
Celebrity sightings probably aren’t what draws most hikers to the great outdoors. Still, for fans of people like Taylor Swift, the chance to see your favorite star can be excellent motivation to explore a new trail. If you’re curious to discover a hiking hotspot frequented by celebrities like Swift, Ed Sheeran, and RuPaul, make your way to Los Angeles, California’s Franklin Canyon Park.
Visitors will find this lovely nature retreat tucked away between Beverly Hills and the San Fernando Valley. Rumor has it that couples like Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis love to hike the trails within Franklin Canyon Park. In 2013, Taylor Swift and friend Ed Sheeran were even spotted hiking in the park. Swift was seen hiking Franklin Canyon again in 2019, with then-boyfriend Joe Alwyn.
Want to check out Franklin Canyon Park for yourself? While you’ll want to check the park’s official website for any closures, the area welcomes anyone looking for a place to unwind and escape the city. Get a sense of the area and learn what to expect there with the gallery of Franklin Canyon Park trail photos below.
“I had always been an outdoor adventurer, from my youth as a whitewater guide to my many wilderness expeditions on mountain bikes and sea kayaks in midlife, to skateboarding and surfing and flying experimental planes into my fifties,” the bestselling author and former firefighter said in an interview released by her publisher, Bloomsbury Publishing. “But I looked around and there really were hardly any women my age out there with me.”
While she saw plenty of men her age and older, she realized that her peers were dialing back their adventure. “So I began to look at the research and also to talk to women who were still doing things outside. And what I found was surprising even to me.”
Paul takes readers around the country to meet women ages 50 to 90 who are still getting outside to challenge themselves, learn new things, take risks, and chase awe. These women include 80-year-old scuba diver Louise Wholey, who braves the chilly waters of Monterey, California; Kittie Weston-Knauer, a 74-year-old BMX racer and instructor in Des Moine, Iowa; and the Wave Chasers, a group of boogie boarding senior women in San Diego. “Tough Broad” shares Paul’s interviews, research about aging, and experiences joining these women — her role models — in their chosen outdoor adventures.
“We need templates in our life,” Paul writes. “We need to see our possible selves in someone else’s grand exploits.”
My favorite chapter was about wing-walking. Seventy-one-year-old Cynthia Hicks likes to Google “something fun to do here” when she travels. That’s how she discovered Mason Wing Walking Academy in Sequim, Washington. In the 1920s, when there were lots of surplus planes left over from World War I, this daredevil activity became popular as part of aerial shows. Today, people can still learn how to climb out of their seats in a red biplane, attach themselves to a cable on the wing, and stay there while the plane does loop-de-loops.
The author beautifully describes the day that Marilyn Mason taught her to wing walk. “The plane rockets skyward. As it climbs, my mind shuffles around in a state of bewilderment. It ransacks neurons and old memories for a pattern to latch on to. Too late. The horizon curdles, falls away. Spinning earth, buffeting air, iceberg clouds flashing by.”
In the wing walking chapter, Paul talks about how research on the state of awe has exploded recently. “I recognize how perfectly wing walking primes us for awe: there is the majestic view at thirty-five hundred feet that feels almost religious; there is the total disequilibrium of doing something so antithetical to every survival instinct; there is the exhilaration of twirling and ricocheting and falling in a vast sky.”
While less active people often see adventure activities as thrill-seeking, Paul wonders at her underlying drivers, especially as she ages. “Could this be what has really been motivating my outdoor quests these past few years? Instead of adrenaline, have I unwittingly been seeking awe?”
“Tough Broad” is an entertaining read. It’s sure to inspire women to continue to enjoy the outdoors, create new neural pathways as they try new things, and enjoy the camaraderie of their sisters in adventure into their later years.
Writer received a free advance copy of the book for review.
When you have a three-year-old, family bonding can get a little silly. On February 3, CrossFit Games athlete Emily Loogman experienced this first-hand during a relay race with her daughter Payton.
An adorable video posted on Loogman’s Instagram and TikTok shows Payton screeching and making a run for it as her mom approaches to hand off the baton. As Loogman wrote in an Instagram post after the event, the two are “gonna have to work on that baton hand off.” Even so, Loogman commented, “I think it’s safe to say she’s gonna be faster than I ever was.”
The relay race was part of a Point Loma Nazarene University alumni track meet in San Diego, California. Loogman, formerly part of the university’s track and field team, attended the meet with her daughter and husband. Watch the adorable scene unfold in the video below.
Hit up the Texas Panhandle for one of the state’s coolest running trails. Located in the small Texas town of Canyon, Palo Duro Canyon State Park appeals to outdoorsy adventurers who value the iconic “rugged beauty” of rocky canyons. Known by some as the “Grand Canyon of Texas,” Palo Duro Canyon is perfect for everything from geocaching and hiking to mountain biking and trail running.
Speaking of trail running, every sporty visitor who explores this stunning landscape should know about the park’s best running trail. Also one of the best hiking trails in Texas, Lighthouse Trail offers runners a rewarding challenge. Here’s what you should know and what you can see when running the Lighthouse Trail.
Rev up the RV, pack your camper, and get ready for fun. Whether you’re a van lifer or a part-time RV adventurer, a camping trip is the perfect way to unwind and explore the beautiful world around you. While there are tons of top-notch campgrounds in the United States, people traveling in an RV or camper will need to find campsites that cater to them. Hunting down the right spot isn’t always easy. Lucky for you, it’s about to get much simpler.
Make your next RV camping trip a breeze with these travel resources and guides. Uncover incredible campgrounds, learn all about boondocking, find ways to bring your pets along for the ride, and so much more.
How to find awesome campgrounds
If you need campground suggestions, you’ve come to the right place. This list of stunning spots for an RV camping trip will have you itching to hit the road. Plus, you can find the best national parks for RV campers here.
Looking for details on unique campsites? Check out this feature on the inviting world of Spacious Skies Campgrounds. For an extra sporty RV camping excursion, you’ll also want to check out the options available at SkyPark at Santa’s Village. This mountain biking park will treat RV campers to some marvelous views. If you’re searching for a wilder camping experience, you can also find RV campsites within the stunning Stanislaus National Forest.
Learn all about boondocking
See if boondocking is right for you (and learn exactly what boondocking is) with this guide. As this resource explains, “For the van life and RV communities, boondocking means camping in an area without hookups. This kind of camping is also described as off-grid or dry camping, as the campers don’t use and/or have access to public utilities like water or electricity.”
If this kind of RV adventure sounds like something you would enjoy, you can learn more about boondocking on public land with the Bureau of Land Management’s tips for dispersed camping.
Make RVing with your pets stress-free
There’s no need to keep your furry friends at home while you go camping. Discover practical ways to bring your dog or cat along for the ride with this guide to RVing and traveling with pets.
Other RV camping tips and resources
Hungry for even more RV camping resources? We’ve got you covered. For a stress-free trip, check out these five tools that make trip planning easy.
Glacier National Park’s Avalanche Lake Trail is one of the best hikes in Montana. Some hikers may even consider it the best hike in America. Join us on a trek through the woods to see what makes Avalanche Lake so special.
Two key factors help determine a trail’s popularity: accessibility and scenery. Spectacular views draw people to a trail, and accessibility ensures that those visitors can actually enjoy exploring the trail. While few trails are accessible to all people, the Avalanche Lake hike’s moderate difficulty makes it manageable for a wide audience of hikers. Plus, the Trail of the Cedars section of the hike is accessible using off-road wheelchairs.
Now, let’s dive into the scenery you can look forward to during your Avalanche Lake hike. If you’re looking for crystal clear waters and breathtaking natural landscapes, you’re in luck. Here are seven photos showing off the best of Glacier National Park’s Avalanche Lake hike.
Have fun while you run. While typical marathons and 5Ks offer enough excitement for most competitive runners, more eccentric athletes may long for the outside-the-box activities offered by novelty races.
What is a novelty race? As you can probably guess, novelty races are running events that incorporate a new and interesting rule or gimmick. Instead of worrying about winning, runners can simply enjoy participating in a strange and joyful race.
While certain novelty races, like Tough Mudder events, have gained widespread popularity, there are plenty more intriguing running events that you’ve probably never heard about. Dive into the weird world of fun running gimmicks with this list of five strange novelty races.
St. Augustine’s annual 3K Raptor Run is short, flat, family-friendly, and oh-so-Floridian. Each year, entry fees raise money for conservation organizations. This year’s recipient is the nearby Audubon Center for Birds of Prey, which works to save Florida’s raptors. The race starts and finishes at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park. This year, the race falls on March 10 and begins at 8 a.m. Runners and walkers are both welcome. The route winds through the flat and attractive residential neighborhood surrounding the alligator farm.
All race participants will receive post-race refreshments, a T-shirt, and a medal. The Raptor Run’s unique medal depicts a fierce alligator/raptor hybrid with big teeth and long talons. What’s better than that? Plus, every adult who stays and buys a ticket for the alligator farm gets a free child’s admission.
The first Raptor Run in 2020 partnered with the Avian Research Conservation Institute to celebrate swallow-tailed kites. These graceful raptors have white bodies and deeply forked black tails. Other years, race funds have supported conservation of the large, nonvenomous Eastern indigo snake. Native to the southeastern U.S., these thick snakes look glossy black, until sunlight reveals their iridescent purple highlights.
Stay for the Alligator Farm
After the Raptor Run, stay to visit the alligator farm. While the focus is firmly on crocodilians, you’ll also see African birds like Cape Griffon vultures, hooded vultures, and Marabou storks. Don’t miss the Madagascar lemurs, sloths, and Maximo, a saltwater crocodile that measures more than 15 feet long.
Usually, I’m leery of zoos and feel bad about seeing confined animals. But I felt better after talking to Scott Brown, the Crocodile Crossing zip line and ropes course manager. Yes, you can zipline over crocodilians. This also overrode my zoo qualms. Because how often in life do you get that opportunity?
It was super fun to fly over gator lagoons and be up in the treetops with roseate spoonbills. Of course, building such a course was even more exciting.
Brown described the process of constructing a zip course inside crocodilian enclosures. “You’ve got to be able to go up with a ladder. And you have to build platforms on the trees off the ladders. Then you’re free hanging from the trees with straps and climbing gear.”
Yikes! All under the watchful eyes of dozens of crocs. “It was more curiosity than anything,” Brown said of being watched by all those reptiles.
Other active things to do in Saint Augustine
If you visit St. Augustine for the Raptor Race, you’ll also find lots of other fun, active outdoor things to do. I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express Vilano Beach, which is three blocks from a long, pretty beach — perfect for catching the sunrise or going for a run. Tourists love the views from the distinctive black and white striped St. Augustine Lighthouse. Some locals buy annual passes and use the lighthouse’s 219 steps as a running gym.
If you want to rest your legs, join a kayaking tour. St. Augustine Eco Tours offers many on-water adventures, including kayaking by the city’s over 400-year-old downtown. Earth Kinship takes you out in the swampy Florida wilderness, where you’ll kayak amongst gators and snakes.
Come for the Raptor Run and stay for a glimpse of some Florida wildlife.
Disclaimer: While this article was not sponsored, Outdoors Wire did visit Saint Augustine during a press trip withFlorida’s Historic Coast. As always, Outdoors Wire operates independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
Washington state’s Mount Rainier National Park draws in visitors from all over the world. The park’s outstanding landscapes and inviting trails make it a treat for outdoorsy adventurers. But did you know it’s also a great place for trail runners looking for a challenge?
One of the region’s most captivating trail running spots is none other than Skyline Trail, aka Skyline Loop. With an elevation gain of roughly 1,700 feet and a round-trip distance of about 5.5 miles, this hiking/running trail welcomes athletic guests who want a strenuous workout. Runners brave enough to tackle this loop trail will be rewarded with some truly life-changing views. Get a sneak peek at those sights with these photos of Mount Rainier’s Skyline Trail.