11/20/2023 0 Comments Great american rail trail![]() Officially opening this spring, it’s also set to serve as an important transport corridor. ![]() Around 60 percent of the town’s residents live within just one mile of the First Avenue rail trail that is being developed as a “linear park,” incorporating trail plazas, shade structures, and green spaces. In western Iowa, Council Bluffs has embarked on a major urban revival project near sections of the Great American that pass through the heart of the city. Cafés, breweries, and restaurants are nearby, too. In Muncie, the route connects to the Minnetrista Museum & Gardens, a city landmark with 40 acres of orchard and gardens, a farmers market, and canning and glass-making workshops that are open to the public. It could open the eyes of local people to what’s out there, too,” says Jason Allardt, the store owner. “A large majority of our customers are local, but could help grow tourism. Right: The Great American invites visitors to explore the less traveled areas of the U.S., like Steptoe Butte State Park in Washington. “The Great American Rail-Trail will just enhance this opportunity for lovers of trail-riding across the country.”įor businesses such as Kirk’s Bike Shop, a Muncie staple since 1865 situated less than a mile from the trail, that could be a major boon. “The fact that we are a paved and a multiuse trail puts us as a prime trail to visit,” says Angie Pool, who heads the Cardinal Greenways, a 62-mile stretch along the Great American that passes through Muncie. Muncie, Indiana, a city of 65,000 people, is one of many small towns ready to put its once bustling railway lines to use again. When completed, the Great American could generate close to $230 million in annual visitor spending and 25,000 new jobs over 10 years for communities that lie on or near the trail, according to a May 2022 report. The Rails-To-Trails Conservancy estimates that 50 million Americans live within 50 miles of the proposed route of more than 145 existing rail trails, greenways, and other multipurpose paths. More than 50 percent complete (it could take another 20 years for the entire trail to be linked up), the trail is already seeing a demand for campsites, bike repair services, restaurants, and breweries, as well as a host of other activities and venues along the route. Further west, it ascends the Continental Divide east of Butte, Montana, and traverses Puget Sound in Seattle, before reaching the Pacific Ocean at La Push, Washington. The route takes in iconic landscapes and experiences, crossing the Appalachian Mountains and the mighty Mississippi River. Running 3,700 miles through 12 states and Washington, D.C., the “Great American” starts (or ends) at the National Mall in downtown Washington. ![]()
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