1000 Great Rail-Trails

Where ribbons of steel once criss-crossed the nation, now there are ribbons of green. Since 1986, the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has helped convert thousands of miles of unused railroad beds to multi-use activity trails for everyone to enjoy. Today rail-trails are found in every state and cover more than 15,000 miles nationwide. 1000 Great Rail-Trails is a complete listing of every rail-trail available for public use in the United States. These flat or gentle-grade trails are the perfect place to walk, jog, bicycle, in-line skate, horseback ride - even cross-country ski - and offer you a year-round opportunity to get outside for exercise and recreation. Numerous access points along the length of each rail-trail allow you to take advantage of as much or as little of the trail as you want. Each complete rail-trail listing includes trail length and endpoints, type of surface - whether paved, dirt or gravel, types of activities allowed and wheelchair accessibility.