Walk or ride a rail trail
A friend has invited you to do this with them.
Disused railway corridors make fine paths because trains could not climb steep hills, so the gradients are gentle and the line runs through cuttings, tunnels and over old bridges. The Rails to Trails Conservancy maps these multiuse trails across the US on TrailLink, with trailheads, parking and surfaces marked.
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How to start
- Search TrailLink, the Rails to Trails Conservancy's trail finder, for trails near you.
- Filter by surface, length and activity, then check the trail map for trailheads, parking and restrooms.
- Walk or cycle out for half the time you have, then turn round and come back the same way.
Where to go
We opened this link on 7 October 2026 and found it to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. The hard part of a day out is the timing: the right season, tickets and getting there. The plan watches the calendar for you.
Read next
Walking holidays for beginners: how to choose a route you'll actually enjoy
A beginner's guide to walking holidays: UK National Trails such as the South Downs Way and Hadrian's Wall Path, the Camino to Santiago, US National Park trails, how to choose a daily distance, baggage transfer, and where the Ramblers fit in.
Six pairs of shoes and seven months on the Pacific Crest Trail took Nancy Zelick from Mexico to Canada
How a retired Intel researcher from Baker City, Oregon, walked the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada in about seven months: the snow, the gear, the food and why she thinks pace mattered more than youth. How to start multi-day hiking, or build towards a long trail if you already walk.