Progress on iconic Great American Rail-Trail shows continued momentum and national pride | News

Rails to Trails Conservancy, the nation’s largest hiking, walking and biking trail advocacy organization, announced new momentum along the route of the Great American Rail-Trail® as the organization’s signature project celebrates 7 years of progress.

This spring, major development took place in five of the 12 states that make up the 6,000-mile route across the country. From ribbon cuttings to new land acquisitions, RTC says the projects in Ohio, Indiana, Nebraska, Wyoming and Washington State will unlock powerful long-distance corridors, create new connections to key destinations within communities, and leverage economic development opportunities across the Great American.

“This progress is a testament to the tenacity of the Trails movement and the power of a vision to unite communities around a common goal. Some of these projects have been decades in the making and the Great American is a catalyst to move them forward,” said Kevin Belle, RTC’s project director for the Great American Rail-Trail. “When multiple states simultaneously cut ribbons, break ground and acquire land, it sends a powerful message about the value of this infrastructure to the people and places it serves, and to the entire nation.”

Earlier this spring, an agreement was reached with Norfolk Southern that will allow London, Ohio, to move forward with plans to complete the Ohio to Erie Trail through the city. This is a critical step forward in developing the final 0.8 miles of the corridor to create a seamless 105-mile walking connection between Dayton and Columbus’ northern suburbs.

On Celebration Trails Day, April 25, 2026, the Miami Central Trail opened in Bunker Hill, Indiana, adding 8 miles to the Great American trail. The new trail extension connects to the Nickel Plate Trail, bringing the total trail segment to 19 miles. Plans are in place to close the remaining gaps in this region, which would increase the total number of connected hiking trails to more than 35.

Also on Celebration Trails Day, the Northwest Nebraska Trails Association and the City of Chadron made critical progress with the opening of the first mile of the Cowboy Trail Connection, building momentum for the final four miles needed to fully connect the trail to Nebraska’s more than 200-mile Cowboy Recreation and Nature Trail.

“The completion of the first mile of the Cowboy Trail Connection is a major milestone in trail construction in Northwest Nebraska. Connecting Game and Parks’ Cowboy Trail to downtown Chadron will prove to have a positive impact as hikers and cyclists explore the city’s historic district. Enthusiasm continues to grow for hiking experiences like this, and Northwest Nebraska looks forward to completing even more miles of trails in the coming years,” said Kerri Rempp, director of tourism at Discover Northwest Nebraska.

In April, Casper, Wyoming, also made significant progress in its efforts to extend the Platte River Trail east into Edness Kimball Wilkins State Park, completing three new miles that bring the trail to the state park’s doorstep. The next phase will add a safe crossing of the Old Glenrock Highway, completing this important connection.

“[This] marks an exciting step forward in connecting Wyoming to the nearly 4,000-mile stretch of the Great American Rail Trail. It has been a long time coming and there is still more to go, but these three additional miles will give Wyoming families, outdoorsmen and tourists even more opportunities to explore our beautiful state,” said U.S. Senator Cynthia M. Lummis (R-Wyo).

She added, “I commend those in this community who have worked together to take what was once unused (or perhaps underutilized) land and turn it into something we can enjoy even more. It’s hard not to be impressed by the ambitions of Great American Rail-Trail and its quest to create and connect a 6,000-mile cross-country trail.”

Finally, in Washington, on the Sound to Olympics Trail, the first portions of Port Gamble Park in Kitsap County will open this spring, creating necessary connections in the effort to develop the path from the Puget Sound to the Pacific – a joint effort led by the City of Port Angeles and twelve other municipalities, agencies and tribes.

Since the Great American Rail-Trail route was introduced in 2019, more than 120 miles of new route have been completed and more than $161 million in federal, state, local and private funding has been invested to advance this vision. Today, the Great American is nearly 56% complete and is expected to unleash more than $229 million in annual spending in the communities it serves as it continues to be developed. More than 260 kilometers of hiking trails, representing 6% of the route, are currently being prepared for development.

“As we celebrate this progress against the backdrop of RTC’s 40th anniversary and America’s 250th anniversary, the Great American Rail-Trail represents more than infrastructure and miles on the ground,” said Belle. “It is a powerful tool for building community, creating new connections to the wealth of the nation’s history and heritage, and bringing new opportunities to towns and cities across the country. The Great American Rail-Trail has the power to inspire pride and unite us all.”

The Great American is RTC’s flagship project to connect a cross-country, multi-use trail spanning more than 3,700 miles through 12 states between Washington, DC and Washington State. The Great American will serve 50 million people living within 50 miles of the route, and millions of additional visitors from around the world. Explore the route at railstotrails.org/greatamerican and connect with the #GRTAmerican on social media @greatamericanrailtrail.