The Great American Rail-Trail is an incredibly ambitious multi-decade project of the Rails to Trails Conservancy. The eventual goal: 3700+ miles of car-free recreation paths crossing the US between Washington D.C. and Washington State. It's a bicycle traveler's dream!
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Rail trails are historic railroad lines (and sometimes canal towpaths) that have been converted to multi-use recreation paths. They're fun and accessible thanks to their safety, gradual grades, and historic points of interest.
By leveraging over 125 existing rail trails, the project is already 53% complete just a few years after its announcement! That's already a LOT of car-free miles, and already makes this route one of the lowest-traffic ways to bike across the US.
The Great American Rail-Trail is
The existing C&O Canal Trail is part of the future Great American Rail-Trail.
Though already 53% complete, the other 47% of the project's planned routing must be ridden on roads with motor vehicles. Often there are quiet roads or good shoulders available, but not always.
The Great American Rail-Trail is
The shoulder on this Wyoming highway, where the rail trail is not finished yet, is fortunately very big.
For a shorter ride with mostly car-free miles, try one of these nearly complete sections:
Idaho to Washington State
Washington D.C. to Ohio
Wyoming and Montana are the two states with the most miles of trail still needing to be designed, planned, and built.
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