From Rails to Trails
From Rails to Trails

Author: Peter Harnik

Publisher: U of Nebraska Press

Published: 2021-05

Total Pages: 280

ISBN-13: 1496226550

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If, as Wallace Stegner said, the national park is “the best idea we ever had,” the rail-trail is certainly a close runner-up. Part transportation corridor, part park, the rail-trail has revolutionized the way America creates high-quality, car-free pathways for bicyclists, runners, walkers, equestrians, and more. It was only a few decades after railroad barons had run roughshod over America’s economy and politics that they began to shed nearly one hundred thousand miles of unneeded railroad corridor. At the same time, bicyclists were being so thoroughly pushed off ever-more-intimidating roadways they came close to extinction. Through political organizing and lawyerly grit, an unlikely, formerly marginalized advocacy arose, seized on seemingly worthless strips of land, and created a resource that is treasured by millions of Americans today for recreation, purposeful travel, tourism, conservation, and historical interpretation. From Rails to Trails is the fascinating tale of the rails-to-trails movement as well as a consideration of what the continued creation of rail-trails means for the future of Americans’ health, nonmotorized transportation networks, and communities across the country.

Rail-Trails Southeast
Rail-Trails Southeast

Author: Rails-to-Trails-Conservancy

Publisher: Wilderness Press

Published: 2012-01-15

Total Pages: 217

ISBN-13: 0899977081

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The official guidebooks for the nationwide rail-trails system, the new Rail-Trails series books have an easy-to-use layout and design, clear maps, and precise trip descriptions. With 55 rural, suburban, and urban trails spanning 630 miles, Rail-Trails Southeast covers Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, and Tennessee. Visit historic battlefields, see the world's largest cast-iron statue, travel through a gorge, and watch beavers and herons along the Southeast's historic rail-trails. Includes two-color maps for each trip and succinct directions.

Rail-Trails Florida
Rail-Trails Florida

Author: Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Publisher: Wilderness Press

Published: 2016-04-18

Total Pages: 194

ISBN-13: 0899978207

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Florida visitors are often surprised by both the beauty of its trails and by the great variety of its landscapes. Although Florida doesn't have any mountains, it does offer trails with views of everything from beaches and bluffs to prairies and wetlands. In this comprehensive trail guide, you'll find some of the best, most beautiful trails in Florida. Many of the trails were converted from unused railroad corridors to become some of the best multiuse rail-trails in the state. In this guidebook, experts from Rail-to-Trails Conservancy present their final list of the top trails and rail-trails in Florida, selected from more than 100 in the state. In addition to details about each trail, Rail-Trails Florida also provides information about trail amenities, including restrooms, parking facilities, and water fountains.

Rail-Trails Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York
Rail-Trails Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York

Author: Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Publisher: Wilderness Press

Published: 2011-01-04

Total Pages: 386

ISBN-13: 0899976670

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Across the country, more than 1,600 unused railroad corridors have been converted to level, public, multiuse trails, where people can enjoy a fitness run, a leisurely bike ride, or a stroll with the family. In this newest addition to the popular series, the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy presents the Northeast's finest rail-trails. Rail-Trails Northeast covers one hundred of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania's rail-trails. With a rich industrial and passenger rail history, the Northeast is one of the densest rail-trail regions in the country. Rural, suburban, or urban, rail-trails serve as the backbone of an impressive trail system. This two-color book includes succinct descriptions of each trail from start to finish, plus at-a-glance summary information indicating permitted uses, surface type, length, and directions to trailheads for each trail. Every trip has a detailed map that includes start and end points, trailhead, parking, restroom facilities, and other amenities.

Rail-Trails West
Rail-Trails West

Author: Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Publisher: Wilderness Press

Published: 2009-06-01

Total Pages: 202

ISBN-13: 0899974899

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In this newest edition in the popular series, the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy presents the best of the West. With 70 rural, suburban, and urban trails threading through 1,050 miles, Rail-Trails West covers 60 trails in California, eight in Arizona, and two in Nevada. Many rail-trails offer escapes from city life, like the Mount Lowe Railway Trail, high above the buzzing Los Angeles basin on a rail line vacationers once took to a mountaintop resort. Others offer the pure sensory thrill of sweeping terrain, like Arizona's 7-mile Prescott Peavine Trail. Still more juxtapose the natural world with the railroad's industrial past, like Nevada's Historic Railroad Hiking Trail, which passes through five massive tunnels to reach Hoover Dam. Every trip has a detailed map, directions to the trailhead, and information about parking, restroom facilities, and other amenities. Many of the level rail-trails are suitable for walking, jogging, bicycling, inline skating, wheelchairs, and horses.

Rails to Trails
Rails to Trails

Author: Diane Ham

Publisher:

Published: 2021-10

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9781737753704

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A history of Rochester Junction in Mendon, NY. Chronicles the area's days as a key stop on the Lehigh Valley Railroad, through its conversion to a rail-trail by the Mendon Foundation and Monroe County Parks.

New Hampshire Rail Trails
New Hampshire Rail Trails

Author: Charles Fontaine Martin

Publisher:

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 308

ISBN-13:

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The most comprehensive guide yet written on multi-use rail trails in New Hampshire, with inviting prose, 95 meticulous maps, and 180 photographs of railroad artifacts, scenery, and trail conditions. Includes capsule histories of the abandoned railroads that formerly operated in New Hampshire, followed by detailed descriptions of the trails that have taken their place. Each trail description includes ratings of the trail surface condition and the scenery along the trail; a list of permitted uses; clear instructions for parking and accessing the trail; and comprehensive notes on natural and historical sights and railroad artifacts that trail users will see along the way.

24 Great Rail-trails of New Jersey
24 Great Rail-trails of New Jersey

Author: Craig Della Penna

Publisher:

Published: 1999

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781889787046

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24 Great Rail Trails of New Jersey is the essential outdoor guide to the best multi-use recreational trails in the Garden State. Each rail-trail has been converted from an abandoned railroad line as part of the nation-wide rails-to-rails movement, so these routes are historic as well as scenic. The accessibility and beauty of rail-trails can be enjoyed by a variety of outdoor enthusiasts, including bicyclists, hikers, equestrians, and the disabled. This guide contains all the information you need to experience the adventure of rail-trails: maps, specific directions, organizations, local contacts, B&Bs, resources for bike repair, plus fascinating stories of railroad history. You are invited to discover the delightful, educational, and healthy possibilities of the rail-trails.

Rail-Trails Northern New England
Rail-Trails Northern New England

Author: Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Publisher: Rail-Trails

Published: 2018

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780899978970

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Explore 60 of the best rail-trails and multiuse pathways across three states. All across the country, unused railroad corridors have been converted to public multiuse trails. In this official guide, the experts from Rails-to-Trails Conservancy present the best of these rail-trails, as well as other multiuse pathways, in Northern New England. You'll appreciate the detailed maps for each trail, plus driving directions to trailheads. Quick, at-a-glance icons indicate which activities each trail can accommodate, from biking to fishing to snowmobiling. Best of all, the succinct descriptions are written by rail-trail experts, so you know it's information that you can rely on Tour Maine's Eastern Promenade Trail, showcasing Portland's Casco Bay and Portland Harbor. Enjoy picturesque countryside on the Northern Rail Trail--New Hampshire's longest rail-trail. Take a ride along Vermont's Island Rail Trail, which boasts a spectacular marble causeway crossing Lake Champlain. Whether you're on feet, wheels, or skis, you'll love the variety in this collection of multiuse trails--from beautiful waterways and scenic areas to the hustle and bustle of the states' urban centers

Rail-Trails Michigan and Wisconsin
Rail-Trails Michigan and Wisconsin

Author: Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Publisher: Wilderness Press

Published: 2018-07

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780899979359

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Explore 63 of the best rail-trails and multiuse pathways across two states. All around the country, unused railroad corridors have been converted to public multiuse trails. Here, the experts from Rails-to-Trails Conservancy present their list of 63 of the best, most highly rated rail-trails and other multiuse pathways in Michigan and Wisconsin. Each entry includes detailed maps, driving directions to trailheads, activity icons, and succinct descriptions. Explore Wisconsin's iconic Elroy-Sparta State Trail--widely acknowledged to be the oldest rail-trail in America--or Lake Michigan Pathway, which features beaches and marinas that keep you in close touch with its namesake. Tour Michigan's state capital on the Lansing River Trail, which winds along scenic riverbanks for 8 miles, from the campus of Michigan State University to Old Town Lansing. Witness the effects of ancient ice floes on Wisconsin's landscape along the 52-mile Glacial Drumlin State Trail. You'll love the variety in this collection of Midwestern multiuse trails--from beautiful waterways and scenic areas to the hustle and bustle of the states' urban centers. So whether you're looking for a trail for a leisurely stroll, a bike ride with the family, or something a bit more challenging, you'll find it in this comprehensive trail guide.