Rails to Trails Conservancy

09/29/2026

9 trails worth fall-ing for 🍂💚.
 
There are only a few weeks each year when the landscape changes so dramatically. Forests turn brilliant shades of red and gold, rivers and ponds reflect the color, and familiar trails offer an entirely new experience.
 
🔗 If you’re searching for spectacular fall scenery and adventure this autumn, download the TrailLink app to get exploring: TrailLink.com.

09/27/2026

Your turn: Snap a trail 📸 crossing a bridge!

Join us in celebrating RTC’s 40th by taking part in our 40x40 Challenge: 40 activities to inspire you to get on the trail—while showing your 💚 for trails with your RTC gear—over 40 days, through Oct. 30.

In recognition of , we thought it was the picture-perfect opportunity to snap and share crossing the iconic Bridge of Dreams along the Mohican Valley Trail. It was amazing to pedal on one of Ohio’s longest covered trail bridges while wearing the Buckeye State design of our special-edition United We Trail tees!

This week, we led a bike tour between Pittsburgh and Columbus on the route of the , spotlighting the region, its rich history and destinations, and how trail connectivity is helping to spur economic opportunity and deliver quality-of-life benefits.

Join the 40x40 challenge by snapping and sharing your trail moments—and be sure to tag Rails to Trails Conservancy and use for a chance to win great prizes!

🔗 Get the activity list + learn more: https://www.railstotrails.org/trail-moments/40x40challenge/

(Visit our website to read the 40x40 Challenge Official Rules before entering by the Oct. 30 deadline. Terms and conditions apply. No purchase necessary. Open to U.S. residents 18+. This promotion is run by Rails to Trails Conservancy, and is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram or Facebook.)

09/27/2026

We loved seeing all the trail adventures and volunteer outings for National Public Lands Day!

Thank you to REI for inviting us and fellow partners to your stores to inspire participation in —we had a great time connecting with people and sharing information about America’s trails!

09/26/2026

Today’s trail-spiration: Sanibel Island Shared-Use Paths

Nearly 25 miles of connected paths make it easy to experience the best of Sanibel Island in Florida without a car—from the iconic lighthouse and shell-filled shores to mangrove forests teeming with wildlife. Follow the paths across the island and you’ll find beach access, local shops and restaurants, and even a route through the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge.

Want to see more of the trail? Explore photos, user reviews, its map, information and more for free on TrailLink: https://www.traillink.com/trail/sanibel-island-shared-use-paths/

📷 Photos of the trail courtesy of Laura Stark

09/26/2026

An A+ way to get students out riding—and experiencing the joy and benefits of biking.

Outride’s Riding for Focus, a biking program for middle schoolers, is providing opportunities for kids to get outside, move and connect with fellow classmates and their communities.

“The Riding for Focus program gives our students a sense of exploration and gives them that sense of freedom that they might be lacking right now. You get to connect with other people that ride, see more of your community and also improve your mental and emotional health.” - John Glodek, a physical education teacher at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School

Read about how two teachers are utilizing the program—and their locals trails—to improve their students’ physical and mental well-being: https://www.railstotrails.org/trailblog/trail-moments-how-the-riding-for-focus-program-is-transforming-student-well-being/

09/24/2026

09/22/2026

We're thrilled to award 35 groups with RTC Trail Grants this year—and we're inspired by the 170+ who applied to advance their local trail networks.

"The response to this year's Trail Grants program sends a clear message: Communities across the country are asking for more safe places to walk, bike and connect with one another.
- Liz Thorstensen, RTC’s vice president of trail development.

Today, there are more than 150 trail networks underway nationwide, with projects developing in every state, providing ways to get around and health, economic and other quality-of-life benefits. The 2026 grantees are working to create and activate the essential trail network infrastructure that makes it safer and more convenient for people to walk, bike and be active outside where they live.

Please join us in applauding the 2026 grantees!
💚Latino Outdoors
💚HBCUs Outside
💚Special Olympics (regional chapters)
💚Lotus Rising (CA)
💚DC Go-Go Trails Collective: East of the River (DC)
💚Equiticity (IL)
💚Casco Bay Trail Alliance (ME)
💚University Circle Inc. (OH)
💚 The Salmonberry Trail Foundation (OR)
💚 Friends of the Lowcountry Lowline (SC)
💚 Spokane County (WA)
💚ICORE - Iron County Outdoor Recreation Enthusiasts (WI)
💚 This year’s grantees also include members of the TrailNation Accelerator, RTC’s program that helps rural and small-town communities plan, connect and activate trail networks that serve people and places equitably, which is supported by the REI Cooperative Action Fund.

Through the Trails Grants program, RTC is helping to fund projects and programs that create more access to trails for more people across the country, distributing more than $4.5 million since 2008. Learn more about the 2026 grantees, the impact of the program, and how RTC is working to advocate for more funding for America's trails: https://www.railstotrails.org/grants/2026-trail-grants/

09/22/2026

Over the next few days, our team is excited to be biking along part of the Great American Rail-Trail, between Pittsburgh and Columbus, to "highlight important pieces of the trail, see local businesses who are benefitting from the trail, and share stories about what is happening along the way to complete it."

Learn more in Weirton Daily Times + be sure to follow along for highlights from the trip and the Great American Rail-Trail!

STEUBENVILLE — Locals are rolling out the welcome mat this week for the Great American Rail-Trail’s fifth annual bike tour, which this year will bring about 40 cyclists from Pittsburgh to Weirton and points beyond via the Panhandle Trail. Kevin Belle, project director for the Great American Rail...

09/21/2026

40 days. 40 ways to show off your 💚 for trails. Share your trail 📸 with us for a chance to win!

This year marks 40 years of Rails to Trails Conservancy. Celebrate with us by joining our 40x40 Challenge: 40 activities to inspire you to enjoy America’s trails—while wearing your RTC merch—over the next 40 days. Every activity you complete by Oct. 30 is a chance to win a prize pack from RTC!

How to participate:

1. Grab the activity list (🔗below)
2. Hit the trails and snap 📸 or 🎥 of you completing the activities—make sure your RTC merch is visible!
3. Share your snapshots with us on Instagram or Facebook—tag and use —or send your pictures by email to be entered to win RTC prizes!

🔗 Get the activity list + read more about how to participate: https://www.railstotrails.org/trail-moments/40x40challenge/

(Visit our website to read the 40x40 Challenge Official Rules before entering by the Oct. 30 deadline. Terms and conditions apply. No purchase necessary. Open to U.S. residents 18+. This promotion is run by Rails to Trails Conservancy, and is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram or Facebook)