Formed in 1986, the non-profit Rails to Trails Conservancy (RTC), has worked irelessly towards getting funding and legislation to convert unused/abandoned railroad lines into community trails.

  Their mission is to "create a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors to build healthier places for healthier people."  That’s a pretty admirable mission.  To date, the RTC’s work has helped approximately 13,600 miles of rails get converted into trails. 

Depending on the trail, they are available for one, several, or all of the following uses: walking and hiking, biking (some trails
are only suitable for mountain bikes), inline skating, wheelchairs, cross country skiing, horseback riding, snowmobiling and some that allow ATV’s.  For example, the Soo Line South is a 114 mile trail beginning at Saunders Junction in northern Wisconsin and connects with a the 148 mile Soo Line North trail in Minnesota.  Moose Lake State Park in Minnesota is adjacent to the trail and has camping facilities.   

And, for fishing enthusiasts, some trails have fishing
spots along the way. 

The surfaces of the trails vary from paved to gravel to crushed stone, to grass.  There may be bridges and tunnels to traverse, and the terrain may be mostly flat and easy to walk on or may be steep and rocky.  Do a little research ahead of time to be prepared for the conditions on the trail. 

Using the trails while on camping trips is a perfect to enjoy nature and see some gorgeous scenery.  To find trails near your camping destination or near your home, use the free trail finding website,TrailLink, which is a free service provided by RTC.  Search by state and then by zip code or by keywords to find trails.  The information for each trail varies from basic to very extensive with some having several reviews and photos.   

A few of the noteworthy trails include:

Katy Trail State Park, Missouri- currently the longest rail-to-trail in the country at 225 miles long and a rail-to-trail hall of fame inductee. The end points of the trail are St. Charles and Clinton.  The surface is crushed gravel and can be used for walking, biking, wheelchairs, and cross country skiing.  The trail is built on the former Missouri-Kansas-Texas rail corridor (rail operations ceased in 1986) and gives travelers on the trail some of the most gorgeous views in the state with the Missouri River often being on one side of the trail and bluffs on the other. 

The landscape varies as the miles are crossed from forests to valleys to prairies, to pastureland to wetlands to farm fields.  A fall ride along the trail is said to be stunning with the vibrant oranges and reds of sumacs, bittersweet bushes, and sugar maple trees. 

For more information about Katy trail including maps, directions to the trailheads, trail conditions, side trails that connect to Katy, and directions to the trailhead visit thetrail’s website.  Tip: Click on the "customized list of businesses" link and put a check mark in campgrounds to find ones on the trail - there are several and planner will even state what mile marker the campground is at. 

Great Allegheny Passage and the C& O Canal Trail;Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Washington D.C. - the Great Allegheny Passage is 150 miles long and has trail end points in Pittsburgh, PA and Cumberland, MA.  The main surface is crushed stone.  The trail is for walking, biking, cross country skiing, and for wheelchairs.  The Cumberland end of the trail connects to the C & O Canal Towpath which goes to Washington D.C. creating a continuous corridor that is 316 miles long. 

One of the coolest things on the trail, is the Big Savage tunnel in Summerset County, Pennsylvania.  The tunnel was in terrible shape after the trains stopped using it in 1976 but a restoration project has made the tunnel a marvel to see and is what allows the Great Allegheny Passage trail to connect with the C & O Canal Trail.  The passage is 3,300 feet long, is now lighted, and draws bikers from all over the country to see.  It’s closed during the winter months when large steel doors are shut on both ends to protect the tunnel from the ice and snows of winter.    

Check the official Great Allegheny Trail website for more information including trail status, trail maps,  directions,camping along the trail
(some campgrounds are right next to the trail;others are a few miles away), amenities along the trail, and tips for preparing for a fun and stress free trip.

Military Ridge State Park Trail, Wisconsin - it was rails-to-trails trail of the month in December, 2006 and is accessible from two state parks that have camping facilities (Blue Mound State Park and
Governor Dodge State Park which is one of the state’s most popular camping destinations). 

It’s 45 miles long and is located in the southwestern part of the state.  Trail ends are at Dodgeville and Verona.  The surface is asphalt and limestone, and can be used by walkers/hikers, bicyclists, wheelchairs, snowmobile riders, and cross country skiers.  The three mile
section of the trail between Verona and Madison is blacktopped and inline skating is allowed there. 

The trail is generally easy to ride but there are a few steeper hilly areas.  The Grumpy Troll brewpub in Mt. Horeb is a recommended stop by one frequent trail user. 

Banks-Vernonia State Trail; Oregon - located in northwest Oregon the trail is in a rural area but is less than an hour from Portland.  The trail is 21 miles long; has mostly asphalt and gravel surfaces; an easy to moderate terrain; and is designated for use by walkers/hikers, mountain bikers, and cross country skiers.

There are trailheads in Manning, Buxton, Tophill, and Beavercreek.  There are twelve bridges along the trail and two trestles - the Buxton Trestle and Horseshoe Trestle.  Both are 80 feet high and over 600 feet long.  Neither is usable (Horseshoe was partially destroyed by fire) but they are pretty cool to look at and marvel over their construction. 

Camping is available near the Buxton trailhead atStub Stewart State Park, which is open year round and has 43 full hookup campsites, 12 walk-in tent sites, 23 primitive hike in sites, 12 one room cabins, 3 two room cabins, 14 sites with full hookups and 4-stall corrals, and 2 double-size full hookup sites with 6-stall corrals. 

There are hundreds more trails in the rails-to-trails system, all of which have their own unique qualities and are worth checking out. 

The mission of Rails to Trails is worthwhile and one that is intended to help people become more active, healthier, and more in touch with nature.  If anyone wants to get involved in Rails to Trails and help support it, they can do so in a number of ways a few of which are:

• Register for the monthly newsletter (it’s free) to stay up to date on events, success stories, and policies that directly impact rails-trails and how to take action
• Donate to the conservancy to help them continue their quest to develop more trails across the nation
• Write your local, state, and federal representatives
  and ask them to support trail friendly policies
• Map a trail or two with your GPS unit, or request to
  borrow one from rails-to-trails,
  upload the file to your computer, and send it to rails to trails.  The data you provide will help users find rail-trails anywhere in the nation.  In exchange for sharing the data with them they will send the data back in a format that can be used in a CADD/GIS program.

When planning your next camping trip, take a few minutes to go to the TrailLink section of the Rails to Trails Website, look for trails in the area you’ll be camping, and take a pleasurable walk or bike ride on one and enjoy nature.