One of the largest completed sections of that developing network is a pair of connected rail-trails—the Heritage Rail Trail County Park and the Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail—a 44-mile expanse.

This Independence Day weekend, celebrate the birth and growth of America by riding or striding into the past. We hope you enjoy this list of Top 10 Rail-Trails for American History!

The Switchback Gravity Railroad, built in 1827, was only the second railroad built in America. It ran nine miles, hauling coal from Summit Hill down to the town of Mauch Chunk and the Lehigh Canal in east central Pennsylvania.

New York’s Erie Canalway Trail is the Trail of the Month and traces the canal’s route for nearly 365 miles.