Over 55% complete, the Great American Rail Trail will connect the northern part of America’s East and West coasts via a continuous bike path. The 3,700-mile-long bike path will travel 12 states starting in Washington D.C. and ending along the Pacific Ocean in Washington state. Much of the eastern rail-trail is already complete, and the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is working to complete any trail gaps to connect all of the states below:
- Washington D.C./DMV/Maryland area
- Pennsylvania
- West Virginia
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Nebraska
- Wyoming
- Montana
- Idaho
- Washington
The trail connects many major American cities including Washington D.C., Indianapolis, Chicago, and Seattle. It also travels through dozens of historic sites:
- Our Lady of the Rockies (famous monument in Butte, Montana)
- C&O Canal (served as the dividing line between the North and South during the Civil War)
- Prairie Grass Trail (includes many communities that played a role in the Underground Railroad)
- Olympic Discovery Trail (an oceanfront trail through Washington State)
The goal of the Great American Rail Trail is to make nature more accessible for Americans while promoting sustainable transportation. Over 2,000 miles of the trail are complete. The trail was announced in 2019 and will cost around $1 billion to finish, yet the Rails to Trails Conservancy notes that cost will be quickly offset by tourism spending once the trail is fully established.
When will the Great American Rail Trail be complete?
The exact completion date hasn’t been announced. The RTC notes the Great American Rail Trail is well over halfway done, but the remaining gaps to fill could take “several decades to bring to fruition.” A “rail-trail” is a multipurpose public trail developed from former railroad corridors. While the groundwork is already done, there are challenges with transforming these tracks into public transit areas.
The rail-trail connects over 150 host trails along the 3,700-mile stretch. Each rail-trail has its own set of rules for travel, some expanding beyond walking, rolling, and biking and allowing cross-country skiing, horseback riding, and more activities.