Rails to Trails Conservancy

From small outcrops to canyons carved into vast land tracts, the earth’s geology has always been an invitation—pulling people into nature. Since 2021, the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS’) Geoheritage Sites of the Nation project has identified geological sites that have “played a significant role in impacting society throughout history”—helping to shape our relationship to the...

In 1976, thousands of people took part in the first-ever organized ride across the country. Propelled by the bike boom of the 1970s, they traveled along rural roads, demonstrating the power of bicycle tourism to deliver new financial opportunity and connections. At the time, only a few dozen multiuse trails dotted the landscape.

In the decade between the Bikecentenn...

With its lofty height and 1,000 foot breadth, the Wilburton Trestle is expected to be a stunner along Washington’s developing Eastrail. “I think the Wilburton Trestle will be a spot in and of itself to visit,” said Katherine Hollis, executive director of the nonprofit Eastrail Partners. “It is goi...

Founded after World War II to promote peace through international cooperation, one of UNESCO’s (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s) most recognizable efforts is its World Heritage Sites program, which aims to preserve and protect cultural and natural heritage by designating landmarks of “outstanding universal value.” Although the United Sta...