A New Addition to the Bucket List

Rails to Trail: http://www.railstotrails.org/

Are you familiar with the rails to trails movement?  Old railroad trails that are no longer in use are converted to trails.  These trails are beautiful, well graded, and scenic.  These old railroad trails once criss-crossed the United States and kept people and goods flowing across this very big nation of ours.

As the trails fell into disuse, many of the old paths were abandoned.

Mount Airy, MD, photo by Bettina W.

 A movement began to buy the old railroads back from the railroad companies, and convert them into hiking and biking trails.  These amazing trails have been built and maintained strictly by volunteer effort.  They cover some of the most historic and scenic parts of the United States.

So, this is my new bucket list.  I want to hike or bike as many of the Rails to Trails as I possibly can.  I want to see these beautiful parts of our country that used to only be visible to those riding the trains and settling new lands across the country.  I want to travel those trails.

I'm going to start small.  For now, I'm going to concentrate on the trails in Maryland, since I live here.




After that, who knows?  I plan to keep going as long as my health lasts!  I turn 50 next month.  I'd like to think I'll be hiking and biking these trails for the next 50 years!

Mount Airy, MD photo by Bettina W.

Maryland Trails:

Anacostia Tributary Trail System
Allegheny Highlands Trail of Maryland
Baltimore & Annapolis Trail
BWI Trail
Capital Crescent Trail
Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Trail
Great Allegheny Passage
Indian Head Rail Trail
Northern Central Railroad Trail
Rock Creek Trail
Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Trail
Western Maryland Rail Trail