The rails-to-trails movement began in the 1960s. Today, thanks to the popularity of the movement and the passage of the amendment of National Trails Systems Act to include “railbanking” in 1983 ,there are over 21,000 miles of new trails in the US. Rails-to-trails are a perfect example of marrying interests, opening land for public use, and preserving the irreplaceable corridors from aggressive development. Learn more about the history of the rails-to-trails movement.
In early May, I traveled to Leesburg, VA with my mom for my cousin’s wedding. On the way down south we were able to sneak a bike ride in on the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) trail from Meyersdale, PA to Rockport, PA (24 miles round-trip). We spent a night at the Morguentoole Hotel. As it was early in the season, the pub & restaurant were not open during our stay. In fact, we had the whole hotel to ourselves. We enjoyed dinner at The White House and breakfast at G.I. Dayroom Coffee Shop. The Great Allegheny Passage runs 150 miles from Pittsburgh, PA to Cumberland, MD. One of the benefits of the GAP trail is that the trail is lined with towns that provide food & lodging for most of the journey. Learn more here.
While in Leesburg, VA, we discovered another great rail-to-trail: the Washington & Old Dominion Trail (W&OD). The W&OD is 45-mile paved trail between Shirlington and Purcellville, Virginia.
