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.
