TRAVEL|TAKING OFF

A New Life For The Railroad

Or, returning to the natural path after the Industrial age

You really can see for miles down this abandoned railroad that has been converted into a trail. Photos by the author.

The path goes straight into the horizon as far as I can see. Trees on each side provide shade at times from the overbearing heat of the sun.

The old railroads were straight with very few curves. Now they are trails through the countryside. The Rails to Trails program is my latest obsession. Throughout the country, abandoned railroad lines are being converted into trials.

National Trail Map for Biking, Walking, Hiking | TrailLink

Here is a map of the trails. This is not an affiliate link. it's just a map to give you an idea of what the scope is.

I walked 100 miles over a week tracing the routes of abandoned railroads in Kansas. The Prairie Spirit trail goes north to south 50-some miles. The American Discovery Trail goes east to the west clear across the state.

To be honest, I did not walk that all at once, and I used a car to get from place to place. I also stayed in hotels with air conditioning, so it was a privileged journey. I need to get…