POINT OF VIEW
Treasured Times on the Trail
Rails to Trails is the magazine of Rails to Trails Conservancy (RTC), a nonprofit organization
dedicated to creating a future where everyone has safe spaces to walk, bike and be active outdoors. RTC was incorporated in 1985 as a nonprofit charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and is a publicly supported organization as defined in Sections 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) and 509(a)(1). A copy of the current financial statement, or annual report, and state registration filed by RTC may be obtained by contacting RTC at the address listed below. Donations to RTC are tax-deductible. Rails to Trails is a benefit of membership in RTC. Regular membership is $18 a year, $5 of which supports the magazine. Members also receive discounts on RTC gifts and publications. Rails to Trails is published four times a year—three in print, one digital—by RTC. Copyright 2025 Rails to Trails Conservancy. ISSN 1523-4126. Printed in the U.S.A.
A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
With summertime comes a sense of whimsy—planning adventures near and far and unlocking a bit of the kid who lives in each of us. When I talk with our partners, supporters and the people I meet out on the trail, I often hear first of their treasured times there. While we talk about the nature and experiences on the trail, most often our conversation ends with tips and notes about the best places to eat, the local businesses that made us feel at home, and the incredible vibes of the towns and cities we visited, where quality of life is clearly valued. As federal leaders continue to scrutinize infrastructure spending, our team is working around the clock to ensure that the administration, congressional leaders, and state and local officials all understand the numerous benefits of trails—from the economy, to our health and well-being, to the safety of our families. The impact of this essential infrastructure is far-reaching. In West Virginia, that reality comes to life on the 45-year-old Greenbrier River Trail (cover story, p. 8). Organizers say the trail was pivotal in shaping the region’s culture—bringing people outdoors who previously didn’t have space to walk and bike safely. That’s when residents became friends, and neighbors became family. Nancy Harris of the Greenbrier River Trail Association put it well. “Trails in general, they connect people, unite people, and remind them of what they have in common. Politics, differences—all that stuff just falls by the wayside,” she said. The same is true in North Alabama, where our team had the privilege of spending a week in April promoting the Year of Alabama Trails campaign leading into Celebrate Trails Day. We did more than visit the trails there; we had the chance to engage with the communities rallying behind them. And while Calhoun and Cleburne counties’ Chief Ladiga Trail and Limestone County’s Richard Martin Trail were certainly highlights of our time on the ground (A View From …, p. 25), what shines as bright is the collective energy there to connect trails across Alabama. This energy is transcending state lines as the entire country works to connect trail networks that serve rural, suburban and urban communities alike. Our trails bring out the best in us. They’re where we connect with the depths of America’s shared histories and cultures. And nothing tells those stories better than the foods that fuel us on the trail. Like Appalachia’s pepperoni roll, a favorite of coal miners dating back to the early 1900s, or Nebraska’s Runza sandwich, which was first brought over from Germany in the 1860s and popularized in 1949 (Trailside, p. 28). When we get to know each other and
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Edward Chang, Chair; Noel Kegel, Vice Chair; Doug Monieson, Treasurer; Ayesha McGowan, Secretary; Ajoa Abrokwa; Balaji Bondili; James Brainard, Jon Cofsky; Mark A. Filippell,
PRESIDENT Ryan Chao
MAGAZINE STAFF VP OF COMMUNICATIONS Brandi Horton EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Amy Kapp SENIOR EDITOR Laura Stark CONTRIBUTOR Cory Matteson COPY EDITOR Sharon Congdon DESIGN/ PRODUCTION Outright; Kathy Keller
J.D.; Catharine Sloss Jones; M.
Katherine Kraft, Ph.D.; Elizabeth Lynn; Andy McCormick; Tom Petri; Marvin Plakut; Juliette Rizzo; Daniel A. Rodríguez, Ph.D.; James F. Sallis, Ph.D.
RAILS TO TRAILS CONSERVANCY
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the places we hold dear on the trail, new connections are forged. We can unite around a common vision—that trails and connected trail networks are essential to the future we envision for our communities and our country.
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With gratitude,
Ryan Chao, President Rails to Trails Conservancy
PHOTO: Celebrate Trails Day 2025 on the Chief Ladiga Trail in Alabama | Drew Dupuy.
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