USA Today's Best Recreational Trails in the US

[Bici-Sonora]

Our 130 mile long Chuck Huckleberry Loop comes in first. Like most cyclists in Tucson, I'm on a portion of the loop at least a couple of times a week. Most of it is really wide and newly paved--wider than many European roads. Backroads and other outfitters are now bringing people here and including it on cycling tour itineraries.

There are also peds and strollers and dog walkers on some parts so you gotta be careful and control your speed on certain sections there are also big long open stretches where you can more or less let it rip. I've ridden quite a few MUPs around the country and some internationally, and I'll say that ours is about as good as I've seen. I've ridden a few great rail trails (like Banks-Vernonia in Oregon and the Lewis and Clark in ID), but IME ours is better built (wider) and better maintained (four full-time maintenance crews). In a recent local poll it was voted the number one recreational amenity in the county.

I have a bit of ambivalence regarding the Loop, because I can get bored with riding it all the time. On the other hand, it is so relaxing to go out and do 60 or so miles on a completely car free route. They are adding more miles and spurs. It is one of the reasons I love living here.

Here is the link: https://www.10best.com/awards/travel...ational-trail/

[572cv]

Originally Posted by Bici-Sonora

Our 130 mile long Chuck Huckleberry Loop comes in first. Like most cyclists in Tucson, I'm on a portion of the loop at least a couple of times a week. Most of it is really wide and newly paved--wider than many European roads. Backroads and other outfitters are now bringing people here and including it on cycling tour itineraries.

There are also peds and strollers and dog walkers on some parts so you gotta be careful and control your speed on certain sections there are also big long open stretches where you can more or less let it rip. I've ridden quite a few MUPs around the country and some internationally, and I'll say that ours is about as good as I've seen. I've ridden a few great rail trails (like Banks-Vernonia in Oregon and the Lewis and Clark in ID), but IME ours is better built (wider) and better maintained (four full-time maintenance crews). In a recent local poll it was voted the number one recreational amenity in the county.

I have a bit of ambivalence regarding the Loop, because I can get bored with riding it all the time. On the other hand, it is so relaxing to go out and do 60 or so miles on a completely car free route. They are adding more miles and spurs. It is one of the reasons I love living here.

Here is the link: https://www.10best.com/awards/travel...ational-trail/

Looks like a great local resource! Well done. Is the state responsibile or is it a local initiative?

In a few years, Vermont will have the basis of something like this with the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. It'll go west to east all the way from St. Albans to St Johnsbury. Governor Scott is a cyclist.. and a short track race car driver... when he gets the chance, and has put some real money in the budget to get this done. I hope it gets the kind of traction that your Chuck Huck has.

[Bici-Sonora]

Originally Posted by 572cv

Looks like a great local resource! Well done. Is the state responsibile or is it a local initiative?

In a few years, Vermont will have the basis of something like this with the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. It'll go west to east all the way from St. Albans to St Johnsbury. Governor Scott is a cyclist.. and a short track race car driver... when he gets the chance, and has put some real money in the budget to get this done. I hope it gets the kind of traction that your Chuck Huck has.

Chuck Huckleberry is our long-time County Supervisor, and also a cyclist. It is his 20 plus year pet project. Like a lot of things--it takes one really dogged person with a vision. The genius behind our loop is that is was funded in part with flood control money as it followed the big "washes" (dry river beds) here and building the trail stabilized banks in the process.

[oldfatslow]

We rode the GAP & C&O b2b a few years ago to get from Pittsburgh to DC. The GAP is awesome. Stunning. Go. The C&O meh. It is not maintained and its condition is highly dependent on weather conditions.

I'd love to be able to do more long trips like that (we did both in five days staying at small Inns along the way). Being able to go that far without any concern for cars was amazing.

[LeMond123]

This is pretty awesome. Green with envy! I'm lucky here in CO to have easy bike lane and MUP access from home to some nice local biking areas, Chatfield State Park and vicinity, Waterton Canyon, Deer Creek Canyon, Highline Canal Trail, etc. But nothing quite like some of these!

[Louis]

I'm glad to see that the Katy Trail made the list. As the crow flies it's only ~3 miles from my house, but to actually get there I have to ride over to a bridge to get across the MO river, so it's about 12 miles by bike.

It can be very nice, as long as you don't mind FLAT and some congestion near the trailheads. But as a roadie at heart, my single biggest gripe is the gravel. It won't ever be paved, but if it were, then it would _really_ be awesome.

[Bici-Sonora]

Originally Posted by oldfatslow

We rode the GAP & C&O b2b a few years ago to get from Pittsburgh to DC. The GAP is awesome. Stunning. Go. The C&O meh. It is not maintained and its condition is highly dependent on weather conditions.

I'd love to be able to do more long trips like that (we did both in five days staying at small Inns along the way). Being able to go that far without any concern for cars was amazing.

I would agree with you here. I rode from Pittsburgh to DC a few years ago and found the GAP to be great--with trail adjacent neighbors taking real pride and pruning downed trees etc. The C and O was nice too--I had good weather--but the GAP was the real gem IMO.

[Bici-Sonora]

Originally Posted by Louis

I'm glad to see that the Katy Trail made the list. As the crow flies it's only ~3 miles from my house, but to actually get there I have to ride over to a bridge to get across the MO river, so it's about 12 miles by bike.

It can be very nice, as long as you don't mind FLAT and some congestion near the trailheads. But as a roadie at heart, my single biggest gripe is the gravel. It won't ever be paved, but if it were, then it would _really_ be awesome.

I've always wanted to do the Katy--sounds like a fun trail.

[buddybikes]

Our trail is certainly multi-use - it is central artery of the town. Riding on it today, series of middle schoolers walking and riding home.

[Likes2ridefar]

Scottsdale area isn’t as organized as Tucson but has nearly limitless miles on canals, greenways, parks, and gravel connecting to the rest of Phoenix and out to the desert.

I rarely ride the road these days! But to get maximum enjoyment you need higher volume tires to hit the single track and desert...unless you enjoy riding flat paths only in the city.

[azrider]

Originally Posted by Louis

I'm glad to see that the Katy Trail made the list. As the crow flies it's only ~3 miles from my house, but to actually get there I have to ride over to a bridge to get across the MO river, so it's about 12 miles by bike.

It can be very nice, as long as you don't mind FLAT and some congestion near the trailheads. But as a roadie at heart, my single biggest gripe is the gravel. It won't ever be paved, but if it were, then it would _really_ be awesome.

I wasn't a cyclist growing up in St. Louis (Chesterfield actually), but can remember my folks taking us to Katy and biking for a few miles for a fun family activity. I've since moved to the desert but one time during a trip back I brought my 29'r and rode from Weldon Spring to Jeff City. I was amazed at how many flats I got. I couldn't imagine that trail on anything less than 28's on road bike.

One of these days, I'd love to bikepack from STL to KC.

[pcb]

It might have been a seasonal/weather problem for me, but I did a day on the Katy Trail, and between the flaaaat, gravel and hot/humid summer, it wasn't much fun. There were some sections right next to a low-traffic road, so I just went on the road to get some more speed, and some relief from the gravel. I rode from St. Jeff towards St. Louis, and bailed early when some weather rolled in.

To be fair, it was almost 20yrs ago, and though I had decent wider tires on a 'cross bike, they weren't light/plush/supple/fun tires like we got nowadays.

Also to be fair, I'm talking like 98-deg/120% humidity. Mucho miserable.

And the weather I bailed on was the Tristate Hailstorm of '01, the costliest hail event in US history. My friend/coworker who picked me up and drove me to my hotel had his car totaled from about 2-3min in the hailstorm till he got beneath an overpass. It was pretty messy.

So maybe better tires, better weather, and no bajillion-dollar-damage hailstorms bearing down on me would make for a better ride?

Originally Posted by Louis

I'm glad to see that the Katy Trail made the list. As the crow flies it's only ~3 miles from my house, but to actually get there I have to ride over to a bridge to get across the MO river, so it's about 12 miles by bike.

It can be very nice, as long as you don't mind FLAT and some congestion near the trailheads. But as a roadie at heart, my single biggest gripe is the gravel. It won't ever be paved, but if it were, then it would _really_ be awesome.

[pinkshogun]

The Natchez Trace Parkway from Nashville south to Miss. is a good one. It's an old 2 lane road, no dirt or gravel, but amenities arent far off the Parkway

[Ralph]

2 friends of mine (husband and wife) recently did the Katy on Trikes...self contained but stayed in inns. Being an old rail road bed, it wasn't too difficult on their loaded trikes. They loved every minute of it. They stayed in those small towns along the trail. Many of them time has forgotten, and they said most towns had some lodging mostly used by Katy travelers. B&B kind of places. And every morning they would talk with other travelers about their adventures. They met some wonderful people, and enjoyed a bunch of stories about old train robberies, believe one involved Jesse James. To them it wasn't about the bikes, or going fast, etc....it was about the adventure and meeting lots of folks with stories to tell. And the FOOD they found along the way. Much of it in "Mom And Pop" places.

[Dave Ferris]

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