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Focus Term: Featured Magazine Articles


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Southern New Mexico’s Cloud-Climbing Trestle Trail Preserves Unique Piece of Railroad History
July 26, 2021
The Cloud-Climbing Trestle Trail is one of a network of trails rooted in the history of the Alamogordo and Sacramento Mountain Railway (A&SM), also known as the Cloud-Climbing Railroad.
The 122-year-old Cloud-Climbing Trestle, also known as the Mexican Canyon Trestle | Photo by Cindy Barks
Blog
The Legacy of White Buffalo Girl, and the Resiliency of a People
June 04, 2021
In Laurel Hill Cemetery just outside the town of Neligh, Nebraska, stands a gravestone. Here lies White Buffalo Girl.
Volunteers participate in a sacred corn planting in 2019, sowing the seeds by hand. | Photo by Alex Matzke, courtesy Bold Nebraska
Blog
Special Olympics Promotes Exploration, Fitness and Discovery on Kansas Trails
January 31, 2021
Jennifer Jennings, a competitor in Special Olympics Kansas swimming events, was elated last winter when she made her high school’s swim team.
Photo from Special Olympics Kansas’ Trails and Treats Day in the fall of 2020, part of the statewide Parks & Trails Tour | Photo courtesy Special Olympics Kansas
Blog
American Icons: Rail-Trails That Helped Shape the National Landscape
January 22, 2021
We take a closer look at some of the country’s earliest rail-trails, and how they helped inspire and build a nationwide movement.
Along the Illinois Prairie Path in Warrenville | Photo by Beverly Horne/Daily Herald/dailyherald.com
Blog
Trail Moments | Philly Birder Takes Fledgling Bird Enthusiasts Under His Wing
September 01, 2020
Birder Keith Russell is enjoying sharing that passion for birding with the next generation through his work at the Discovery Center.
Birdwatching in Tacony Creek Park | Courtesy Tookany-Tacony Frankford Watershed Partnership
Blog
A View From … The Historic Railroad Trail in Nevada
July 28, 2020
Between the fascinating railroad history and the stellar Lake Mead views, the Historic Railroad Trail in southern Nevada in Clark County packs quite a punch into its 3.7-mile route.
As a former train route, the Historic Railroad Trail is mostly flat along its 3.7-mile route. The flat terrain makes the trail a popular spot for people of all fitness levels. | Photo by Cindy Barks
Blog
Saving America’s Prairies: Illinois Leaders and Rail-Trail Advocates Work to Restore a Dwindling System
July 14, 2020
In Illinois, a good portion of what remains is found almost exclusively along the railroad corridors that crisscross swaths of intensely farmed, highly prized agricultural land.
Prairie Grassland along the Heartland Pathways in Illinois | Photo by Chris Bucher
Blog
Carolyn Finney: Educating for a Broader Approach to Access and Diversity in the Outdoors
June 08, 2020
As an impassioned storyteller, author, cultural geographer and educator, Carolyn Finney, Ph.D., speaks to dozens of audiences each year on the intersection of environment and diversity.
Courtesy Dr. Carolyn Finney
Blog
How the Great Allegheny Passage Transformed a Region
May 12, 2020
The 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) in Southwestern Pennsylvania and Western Maryland is a premier rail-trail destination.
Great Allegheny Passage just outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Photo by Milo Bateman
Blog
Four Rail-Trails That Are Part of Transformative Environmental Clean-up Projects
April 21, 2020
In honor of Earth Day’s 50th Anniversary this year, Rails to Trails magazine is highlighting four rail-trails that have had a transformative Cinderella story, going from industrial dumping grounds to beloved community assets.
Mineral Belt Trail | Photo by Scott Stark