Apps make it easy to map our own cycling routes, but there’s something special about pedaling along a rail-trail. The new PBS documentary, From Rails to Trails, follows the 60-year fight to convert these once-forgotten train lines into peaceful, car-free corridors that allow us to move at the pace of our thoughts and soak up the scenery one pedal stroke at a time.
I fell for rail-trails during the pandemic when I started logging miles on Virginia’s 45-mile Washington and Old Dominion Trail, which I can pick up near my house. Before long, I was ready for something bigger: the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage, that stretches from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Maryland, and forms part of the ambitious Great American Rail-Trail, a cross-country route that will one day connect Washington, D.C. to Seattle.
Rail-trails are more than bike paths. They’re connections between towns, travelers, and a bygone age of steam and steel. What’s more, pedaling through a century-old tunnel or across a weathered trestle bridge captures the quiet joy of self-propelled travel.
From the newly completed Adirondack Rail Trail to the ever-popular Trail Coeur d’Alenes, these are seven of our top rail-trails to ride across the U.S.
Elroy-Sparta State Trail, Wisconsin
32.5 miles: Elroy to Sparta
Opened in 1965, the Elroy-Sparta State Trail was the first completed rail-trail conversion. It paved the way for thousands more across the country, which today total more than 25,000 miles. This crushed limestone path winds through wetlands, farmlands, and wooded ridges, connecting five bike-friendly small towns along its 32.5-mile route.
Bring a headlamp to walk your bike through three 1870s railroad tunnels, each hand-dug by crews armed with little more than picks and shovels. Between Norwalk and Sparta, the longest tunnel stretches nearly three-quarters of a mile. Cool air swirls and dripping water echoes off the stone walls. In Kendall, the restored depot serves as the trail headquarters and houses a small railroad museum filled with historic photos and artifacts.
Don’t miss: About halfway along the trail, Norwalk makes a great lunch stop. Try Bailey’s Diner for tacos and tostadas. In Wilton, swing by the Hitchin’ Post for classic bar burgers and local brews.
Pro tip: A $5 daily or $25 annual state trail pass is required for cyclists 16 and older. Also, keep in mind that tunnels close each year from November 1 to April 30.
Illinois Prairie Path, Illinois
61 miles: Maywood to Aurora, Geneva, Batavia, and Elgin
The Illinois Prairie Path set the standard for suburban connectivity when it debuted in Chicago’s western suburbs in the mid-1960s. Today, its 61 miles of asphalt, crushed stone, and concrete link DuPage, Kane, and Cook Counties, serving as a reminder that you don’t need to leave the city to find open space and fresh air.
Start in Maywood on the main branch and follow the leafy route west to Wheaton where you can split off toward four westerly trailheads. Before branching out, stop at the Villa Park Historical Society, which operates a small museum and visitor center inside a restored depot. Along the way, take in sweeping prairies, shaded forests, and small-town streets lined with cafés and local shops.
Don’t miss: In Elmhurst, the Keith A Olson Prairie is a rare, thousand-year-old remnant of prairie preserved between two historic railroad lines.
Pro tip: Combine your bike ride with a Metra train trip for an easy car-free adventure into and out of Chicago’s western suburbs.
Island Line Trail, Vermont
13 miles: Burlington to South Hero
Few trails are as photogenic as Vermont’s Island Line Trail. Starting on Burlington’s waterfront, this 13-mile route traces the shoreline before funneling riders onto the Colchester Causeway, a narrow, gravel path that stretches across Lake Champlain. Views of the Adirondacks to the west and the Green Mountains to the east, including Mount Mansfield, are simply spectacular.
Two and a half miles out, riders reach “the Cut,” a 200-foot gap bridged by the Island Line Bike Ferry. A five-minute ferry ride deposits cyclists on South Hero Island. There, riders can sip wine at Snow Farm Vineyard or indulge in maple creemees and cider slushes at Allenholm Farm.
Don’t miss: Stop at Burlington’s lakefront parks. North Beach Park and Leddy Park boast sandy beaches, picnic areas, and snack bars perfect for a break from the bike.
Pro tip: The Island Line Bike Ferry operates from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The crossing is free, but donations are welcomed to keep this one-of-a-kind service up and running.
Flint Hills Trail, Kansas
118 miles: Osawatomie to Herington
Kansas may be famed for its wide-open plains, but the Flint Hills Trail reveals a wilder, more varied side of the state. As in, rolling hills, limestone bluffs, and the largest remaining expanse of tallgrass prairie in North America. Spanning 118 miles, it’s Kansas’ longest rail-trail and a newly minted member of the Rails to Trails Conservancy’s Hall of Fame for 2025.
The rail-trail connects a dozen small towns and passes historic landmarks like the John Brown Museum State Historic Site where visitors can learn about the abolitionist’s efforts to make Kansas a free state, and Allegawaho Memorial Heritage Park, honoring the Kaw Nation. The trail traces nearly 100 miles of the Santa Fe National Historic Trail, a route that once carried traders, settlers, and dreamers westward during America’s frontier expansion.
Don’t miss: Ride in spring or early summer when Kansas prairies burst to life. It’s when hundreds of native wildflowers blanket the landscape beneath an endless blue sky.
Pro tip: Services are limited along the route. Carry extra water and snacks. Check trail conditions after heavy rain since the crushed-stone surface can soften.
Chief Ladiga and Silver Comet Trails, Alabama and Georgia
100 miles: Anniston, Alabama, to Smyrna, Georgia
Spanning two states and a century of rail history, the Chief Ladiga Trail and Silver Comet Trail connect to create one of the South’s most popular long-distance rides. The fully paved 100-mile route winds through pine forest, farmland, and the red-clay hills of Alabama’s Talladega National Forest before crossing into Georgia near the town of Cedartown.
In April 2025, Chief Ladiga Trail completed a 6.5-mile extension into downtown Anniston, providing access to Amtrak and the Main Street district where riders can refuel at barbecue joints and breweries. With Alabama designating 2025 its official “Year of the Trails,” this rail-trail stands out as the centerpiece of a broader statewide initiative to connect all 67 counties by bike and foot.
Don’t miss: Snap photos beneath the arched gateway that marks the Alabama–Georgia border, a symbolic crossing that unites the two state trails.
Pro tip: Cedartown sits midway along the linked Silver Comet and Chief Ladiga Trails. Stop to grab a bite, spend the night, or explore the Cedartown Museum of Coca-Cola Memorabilia.
Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes, Idaho
73 miles: Mullan to Plummer
Northern Idaho’s Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes delivers one of the most scenic long-distance rides in the West. Stretching from Mullan to Plummer, this route follows a former rail line that once carried silver ore through Idaho’s rugged Silver Valley. Today, it’s a model of restoration and stewardship, a collaboration between the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and the State of Idaho.
Part of the Great American Rail-Trail, this section winds through the historic mining towns of Wallace and Kellogg. Along the forested route, there are 20 developed trailheads, as well as 20 scenic waysides with picnic tables or benches. There are restrooms at more than a dozen stops.
Don’t miss: The Chatcolet Bridge is a historic swing bridge turned pedestrian span that offers first-rate views of Lake Coeur D’Alene, Lake Chatcolet, and the St. Joe River Valley.
Pro tip: Keep your eyes peeled for moose, especially between Medimont and Springston, where sightings are common between late-June and October.
Adirondack Rail Trail, New York
34 miles: Lake Placid to Tupper Lake
Completed in phases, the Adirondack Rail Trail officially opened in full in October 2025, linking Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, and Tupper Lake in New York’s scenic Tri-Lakes region. This 34-mile route features mostly smooth crushed stone, with a two-mile paved stretch through Saranac Lake, and offers views of forests, wetlands, and mountains, including Mount Jo and the High Peaks.
Welcoming trail towns make perfect pit stops. In Saranac Lake, refuel with a latte from Origin Coffee Co. on Main Street or linger on the patio at Bitters & Bones, a brewpub known for its burgers and flatbreads. In Tupper Lake, check out the beautifully restored train depot, which is now the starting point for scenic rides aboard the Adirondack Railroad’s Tupper Lake Explorer.
Don’t miss: Pop into Lake Placid Olympic Museum for Winter Games history, including Team USA parade uniforms through the years and original footage of the 1980 “Miracle on Ice.”
Pro tip: Shuttle services like Bike Adirondacks and St. Regis Canoe Outfitters can drop you off at your starting point, making one-way rides easy and your adventure more flexible and scenic.
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