The Great American Rail Trail Will One Day Connect the East and West Coast

Imagine crossing the country not by highway or interstate, but on a scenic, car-free path built for walkers and cyclists. A trail where the hum of traffic is replaced by birdsong and the crunch of gravel, where you can set out for a morning jog, a bike ride to a neighboring town, or—if you’re ambitious—a journey from coast to coast.

That’s the vision behind the Great American Rail Trail, an ambitious project that’s already more than halfway complete. Spanning over 2,000 miles of open trail and eventually stretching 3,700 miles from Washington, D.C., to Washington state, the route stitches together a patchwork of rail-trails, greenways, historic paths, and multi-use trails that span across 12 states.

At first glance, it might seem like a novelty—a feather in the national cap—but its potential impact is significant. According to project estimates on the Great American Rail Trail’s website, the trail could generate more than $229 million in annual visitor spending, create over $100 million in labor income, and bring in nearly $23 million in new tax revenue. Perhaps even more importantly, it will give the tens of millions of people living along the route a safe, accessible way to connect with nature, commute between communities, and explore their own backyards—all without a car. 

The number of people impacted by the Rail Trail is even more significant when you zoom out and consider those who live within 50 miles of the route—or the tourists from other parts of the country or the world who will be able to enjoy the cross-country pathway.

“The Great American Rail-Trail has come to represent the potential of active transportation infrastructure that connects the nation,” said Ryan Chao, president of the Rails to Trails Conservancy, the organization that oversees the rail trail project, in a May 2024 press release that celebrated the rail-trail’s fifth anniversary. “It magnifies the opportunity for connected trail systems to deliver economic potential, quality of life, and safe mobility to millions of Americans.”

Since the project’s inception in May 2019, around 125 miles have been added to the patchwork of existing public-use trails. The full trail won’t be finished for several decades. 

The Great American Rail-Trail is a signature project of Rails to Trails Conservancy, the largest trails organization in the U.S. The ambitious route wouldn’t be possible without local, on-the-ground support from communities across the nation, trail organizations, and, of course, trail builders.

To see what parts of the Great American Rail-Trail are currently open and accessible to walkers and bikers, check out the organization’s interactive map, which shows open, existing trails along with the route’s planned segments.