Great American Rail-Trail(r): Highlights of America's First Cross-Country, Multiuse Trail

Explore 50 of the most iconic segments along the Great American Rail-Trail--spanning over 3,700 miles between Washington, DC, and Washington state.

Great American Rail-Trail earned Bronze Medal honors from the IPPY Independent Publisher Book Awards, in the Travel - Guidebook category.

The Great American Rail-Trail is the nation's first cross-country, multiuse trail. Designed to connect coast to coast, this ambitious route will one day stretch uninterrupted across 12 states and the District of Columbia. More than half of the trail is already complete and ready to explore--and in Great American Rail-Trail, the experts at Rails to Trails Conservancy showcase 50 of the most scenic, significant, ready-to-use segments for walkers, runners, cyclists, equestrians, skaters, skiers, and people of all abilities.

Travel the famed Great Allegheny Passage through the Appalachian region. Enjoy Indiana's Cardinal Greenway or Iowa's Raccoon River Valley Trail. Marvel at Western beauty on Idaho's Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes or Washington's Burke-Gilman Trail. With pathways passing through forests and farmlands, across plains and mountain valleys, and into the heart of America's great cities, this collection offers something for every trail enthusiast.

Inside you'll find:

• In-depth descriptions written by rail-trail experts


• Full-color maps, trail facts, and GPS waypoints


• Icons indicating activities and wheelchair accessibility for each trail


• Historical and cultural insights into every region


• Suggested itineraries for long-distance connections

Based in Washington, DC, Rails to Trails Conservancy is a nationwide nonprofit dedicated to converting former railroad corridors to public, multiuse recreational trails that offer easy access to runners, hikers, bicyclists, skaters, wheelchair users, and equestrians. It serves as the national voice for a grassroots community more than a million strong, more than 25,000 miles of open rail-trails across the country, and more than 5,000 miles of potential trails waiting to be built--with a goal of ensuring a better future for America made possible by trails and the connections they inspire.