The 12 best rail trails in the U.S.

Picture this: a 15-mile trail with scenic views for you to traverse on foot or on your mountain bike—and you get to go through 10 long and dark train tunnels! Amazing. (Okay, we retract one of them if you’re on a bike. Still...nine long and dark train tunnels!). How long of a tunnel are we talking? Try 1.661 miles long and with a beautiful seasonal waterfall at one end! Now prepare your mind for this next bit: the trail also includes seven towering trestles (those tall railroad bridges that span gorges). Want a last bit of persuasion before you put this trail into Waze? Most of the trail is downhill, and shuttles transport your exhilarated self back to the beginning. You need to buy a trail pass and shuttle ticket; more than fair. The trains that once rattled through here were Milwaukee Railroad trains that got to tackle 11 tunnels and nine trestles. The trail’s still being added to (another 31 miles are planned), so visit now so that when the new part opens, you can be all nonchalant about how it used to be.

If you’re visiting New York, you’ve got to hop on the High Line, a park created out of a historic, elevated rail line. Here in the air with great views of the city below, saunter along to see gardens, art, see performances and more. The elevated line was built and used starting in 1903 after pedestrians were frequently struck and killed by street-level trains in the mid-1800s. As trucking became popular, trains became less so until the disused High Line was threatened with demolition. Oh hell no! The plants which had taken over inspired viewers with the idea of elevated gardens, and the first section of this greenway park opened in 2009. Today it’s nearly 1.5 miles long.

You’ll cross the water 18 times on this exciting 24-mile trail—most dramatically, crossing the Black River on a 287-foot former railroad trestle. You do need to get a $5 daily state trail pass to bike, skate or ride a horse here—or cross-country ski or snowmobile in winter—but it’s easily ordered on the website (walkers don’t need to pay). You’ll see prairie land on this abandoned Chicago-Northwestern railroad line, which now has a finely crushed limestone surface rather than rails and ties. You’ll be within the Mississippi Flyway and pass through two National Wildlife Refuges. You can also connect to the La Crosse River State Trail.

This is the fourth longest rail trail in the US, at 150 miles! That means you can stretch a bike ride into a weekend experience on this smooth pathway with no grade of more than two percent. Start in Cumberland, MD and make your way cross-state to Pittsburgh, PA, while seeing tunnels, viaducts, monumental bridges, and historic locations along what was once the Western Maryland Railway. Since the trail is so long, look for maps, info on parking, shuttles, hotels, restaurants and more at the official website. And after that, the rest is up to you!

Starting in Jacksonville and ending in Baldwin, this 14.5-mile trail consists of two paths, once part of the CSX (Chessie Seaboard—and the X is a mystery) railway. One is 12 feet wide and used by hikers, bikers and rollerbladers. Parallel to it, an unpaved trail is for equestrians. Both trails are flat and wind through secluded, rural countryside with lots of plants, shade trees and wildlife such as deer, hawks and wild turkeys. Leashed dogs are welcome, and there are public restrooms. Along the way, there are historical stops such as Civil War fortifications.

Start at Rehoboth Beach and wind your way 5.8 miles through Cape Henlopen State Park to the coastal town of Lewes, either on foot or on your bike. There are beautiful ocean views on this trail built where a mid-1800s Pennsylvania Railroad line once brought passengers to seaside resorts; the line was abandoned in the early 1970s. Flat and made of crushed stone and asphalt, the trail includes forested stretches, open fields, farmland and coastal marshes, including the exhilarating chance to venture across an 80-foot long railroad bridge originally built in 1913, with a view of a World War II observation tower.

We adore this underway project which is a model of sustainable urban redevelopment. When it’s completed, it will link 45 of Atlanta’s neighborhoods through a 22-mile loop of multi-use trails, modern streetcar lines, and parks, and it’s all incorporating railroad corridors that once encircled the city. It will be an arboretum of greenery, open to all, for free. Right now, portions of the trail are open, like the Westside Trail which connects historic neighborhoods through a four-mile stretch in two segments. Check the “places to go” tab on the website to see what’s currently available as other segments are prepped for opening. You can also join in running clubs, bike tours, art events and more.

This 25-mile stretch through lush green foliage incorporates the chance to walk over the railroad trestle that covers the Des Moines River valley with dramatic views. You'll see the area where 10,000 workers once worked in the coal mines, and that heritage is reflected in the asymmetrical arches on the bridge, which nod to the support braces inside the tunnels. The bridge's steel decking is gone but the original 22 massive concrete piers remain (for a while called Iowa's Stonehenge until the new bridge was constructed). You can walk or bike between Woodward and Ankeny, or hop on the trail at Madrid where the bridge is, and return at night to see a portion of it lit up with blue lights.

Travel 45 miles through Fairfax and Loudoun counties in Virginia along the former Washington & Old Dominion Railroad line which closed in 1968. Affectionately thought of as the “skinniest park in Virginia,” it’s now operated by regional park service NOVA Parks. This trail has easy access to breweries, cafes, historical attractions, botanical gardens, pit barbecue stops...and even bike repair shops in case you pop your tire.

The longest rail trail in the state at 61 miles, Cardinal Greenway gives you a relaxing passage through rural fields, wildflowers, a restored historic depot which sits on the National Register, several bridges and best of all: several quaint small towns. Fall is a great time to walk or ride the trails with all the glorious foliage. The railroad that once whistled through here laid tracks in 1901, the Cincinnati, Richmond and Muncie company. But after the line was abandoned for good in 1986, the unused rails began to deteriorate in the cycle of winter freezing and spring thawing. They have been removed in sections and replaced with asphalt to make for smooth rides or walks.

This newly-paved trail takes you 13 miles from Gilkey to Forest City over terrain once covered by the Wilmington, Charlotte and Rutherford Railroad, which was consolidated into the Southern Railroad in 1898. In 1990, the rails became the Thermal Belt Railway (named for the nice weather in this area’s isothermal belt), mostly running freight, but by the early part of this century, mill closures meant rail closures. On today’s trail, you’ll see plenty of trees on some portions, and go right into downtown on others. Keep an eye out to see portions of the old rail embedded in the trail—and the kiosks’ design also harks to the original railroads.

These dramatically tall stone arch railroad bridges tower at 70 feet in the air and were some of the first ones built in the country (some are still hosting trains!). The trail runs alongside them for a brief but magnificent 2.5 miles—watch out for some sharp dropoffs (kids and dogs should be carefully watched). You can also take side trails down to the river at each bridge to add steps to the workout. The river underneath is the West Branch of the Westfield River, the first official Wild and Scenic River in the state with its Class IV rapids, 50-foot drops (including 100 feet per mile drops!) and general rowdy nature. As the website says, “The remoteness of the area also makes assistance in the event of a mishap unlikely.” Good to know. You can also kayak or mountain bike here if you’re experienced. This trail is part of the remnants of the 1840 Western Railroad, at the time the longest and highest railroad in the world.