This year was an exciting one for the rail-trail movement; as 2018 comes to a close, nearly 2,100 rail-trails are now open across the country.

Here is a spotlight on some of the critical TrailNation project advances we made in 2018—and how they are bringing to life our vision of trails at the heart of healthy, thriving communities.

The Natural State’s newest rail-trail venture—the Southwest Trail—could bring both national attention and important local benefits.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) and the national trail community put itself on the front lines to protect and defend trails in 2018. Here are five ways we mobilized in communities this year.

Nestled into the gentle greens and golds of a vast prairie, rolling under leafy branches arched overhead like cathedral rooftops, and connecting small towns with friendly Midwestern charm, the Flint Hills Trail State Park proves there’s no place like Kansas.

Forming a nearly 12-mile paved loop around the city, the Mineral Belt Trail offers spectacular views around every bend.

Like the fabled yellow brick road, Georgia’s Augusta Canal Trail unfolds with a soft orange hue and unexpected delights with every footstep or turn of the wheel.

Tucked into Wyoming’s scenic northwestern corner, the North Pathway is what summer vacations are made for. From the charming town of Jackson—the gateway to two national parks—the paved pathway unwinds 20 miles north