Rail-Trails West: California, Arizona, and Nevada

376 Pages·2009·47.3 MB·English

by  Rails-to-Trails-Conservancy

Rail-Trails: West
1st EDITION 2009
Copyright © 2009 by Railsto-Trails Conservancy
Front cover photographs copyright © 2011 by Railsto-Trails Conservancy
Cover photographs copyright © 2009 by Bryce Hall (main and inset right) and Railsto-Trails
Conservancy (inset left and back cover) All interior photographs by Railsto-Trails Conservancy,
Boyd Loving, Darrin Gardiner.
Maps: Tim Rosner and Lohnes+Wright
Cover design: Lisa Pletka
Book design and layout: Lisa Pletka and Larry B. Van Dyke
Book editors: Laura Shauger, Jennifer Kaleba and Wendy Jordan
ISBN 978-0-89997-489-7
Manufactured in the United States of America
Published by: Wilderness Press
1345 8th Street
Berkeley, CA 94710
[phone]; FAX [phone]
About Railsto-Trails Conservancy
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Railsto-Trails Conservancy (RTC)
fosters one great mission: to protect America’s irreplaceable rail corridors
by transforming them into multiuse trails. Its hope is that these pathways
will reconnect Americans with their neighbors, communities, nature, and
proud history.
Railways helped build America. Spanning from coast to coast, these
ribbons of steel linked people, communities, and enterprises, spurring
commerce and forging a single nation that bridges a continent. But in recent
decades, many of these routes have fallen into disuse, severing communal
ties that helped bind Americans together.
When RTC opened its doors in 1986, the rail-trail movement was in its
infancy. While there were some 250 miles of open rail-trails in the United
States, most projects focused on single, linear routes in rural areas, created
for recreation and conservation. RTC sought broader protection for the
unused corridors, incorporating rural, suburban, and urban routes.
Year after year, RTC’s efforts to protect and align public funding with
trail building created an environment that allowed trail advocates in
communities all across the country to initiate trail projects. These ever-
growing ranks of trail professionals, volunteers, and RTC supporters have
built momentum for the national rail-trails movement. As the number of
supporters multiplied, so too did the rail-trails. By the turn of the 21st
century, there were some 1100 rail-trails on the ground, and RTC recorded
nearly 84,000 supporters, from business leaders and politicians to
environmentalists and healthy-living advocates.
Americans now enjoy more than 15,000 miles of open rail-trails. And as
they flock to the trails to commune with neighbors, neighborhoods, and
nature, their economic, physical, and environmental wellness continue to
flourish.
In 2006, Railsto-Trails Conservancy celebrated 20 years of creating,
protecting, serving, and connecting rail-trails. Boasting more than 100,000
members and supporters, RTC is the nation’s leading advocate for trails and
greenways.
People use California’s 4.4-mile Fairfield Linear Park to access Solano Community College
Campus and the Fairfield city center.
Foreword
Dear Reader:
For those of you who have already experienced the sheer enjoyment and
freedom of riding on a rail-trail, welcome back! You’ll find Rail-Trails:
West to be a useful and fun guide to your favorite trails, as well as an
introduction to pathways you have yet to travel.
For readers who are discovering, for the first time, the adventures you
can have on a rail-trail, thank you for joining the rail-trail movement. Since
1986, Railsto-Trails Conservancy has been the No. 1 supporter and
defender of these priceless public corridors. We are excited to bring you
Rail-Trails: West so you, too, can enjoy this region’s rail-trails.
Built on unused, former railroad corridors, these hiking and biking trails
are an ideal way to connect with your community, with nature, and with
your friends and family. I’ve found that rail-trails have a way of bringing
people together, and as you’ll see from this book, there are opportunities in
every state you visit to get on a trail. Whether you’re looking for a place to
exercise, explore, commute, or play—there is a rail-trail in this book for
you.
So I invite you to sit back, relax, pick a trail that piques your interest—
and then get out, get active, and have some fun. I’ll be out on the trails, too,
so be sure to wave as you go by.
Happy Trails,
Keith Laughlin
President, Railsto-Trails Conservancy