Amtrak Stations closest to rail trails

[Exvalley]

I know that rail trails are a bit of a hot button on a train forum, but we really enjoy bicycling on them.

Are there any Amtrak stations that are convenient to rail trails, preferably with a hotel nearby where we can drop off some bags before we set off on our bicycles?

 

[Bzhayes]

Not a rail trail, but a towpath: The Capitol Limited runs along the C&O Towpath from DC to Cumberland, Maryland. There is also a stop in Harpers Ferry. Martinsburg, VA is near the C&O but when I looked on Google maps it looked like a pretty harrowing bike ride across the river on a cramped highway bridge.

 

[Saddleshoes]

The Katy Trail runs almost the whole way across the state of Missouri, roughly from St. Louis to Kansas City. The Amtrak "Missouri River Runner" has many stops within a couple of miles of the trail. I have used the train successfully, a few times to access the Katy Trail with my bike.

If you are interested in a great bike trail, I can recommend looking into the Katy Trail/Amtrak combination.

 

[fdaley]

It's not an Amtrak connection, but the Metro North train station at Wassaic NY is also the starting point for the Harlem Valley Rail Trail, which follows the former New York Central Harlem Division north for another 20 or so miles to Copake Falls or perhaps a bit farther.

No hotel nearby, though -- the Wassaic station is basically a park-and-ride lot next to the state highway and not near any settled area. With some research, one could probably find a hotel near one of the stations farther down the line.

 

[oregon pioneer]

The OC & E Woods Line State Trail is Oregon's longest state park.

Welcome to the OC&E Woods Line State Trail -- Oregon's longest linear park! This 109-mile, rail-to-trail conversion is built on the old rail bed of the Oregon, California, and Eastern Railroad. The trail is open for all non-motorized recreation, beginning in the heart of Klamath Falls, extending east to Bly and north to the lush Sycan Marsh. From its beginnings as a railroad carrying millions of board feet of timber and railcars loaded with cattle, to its present cargo of recreational trail users, this railroad line has always been on the move.

The scenery can't be beat. You've probably seen the views of Mt. Shasta from the Coast Starlight. Sycan Marsh is famous for birding. I think you can probably follow forest roads from the end of the trail up the marsh system to Chemult, if you don't want to double back. That might require camping, though. The small towns of Beatty and Bly have motels. Klamath Falls is the home of the Oregon Institute of technology, and is a bit more upscale.

 

[fdaley]

Also, when Vermont's Amtrak trains start running again in July, the Castleton VT Amtrak station is across the street from the start of the D&H (Delaware & Hudson) rail trail, which extends 7 miles along the old D&H Washington Branch to Poultney, and another couple miles below that. There are additional non-contiguous portions of the trail farther south.

 

[MARC Rider]

If you get off the train at Philadelphia 30th St. and walk across the Schuylkill River on JFK Blvd, there are stairs on the east bank that lead down to the Schuylkill River Trail, which at that point parallels for a short distance the CSX freight line. The trail then goes into Fairmount Park and follows the river upstream. There is access to SEPTA trains in Manayunk and Norristown and a couple of other stations on the Norristown Line. I'm not sure how far the trail now goes up the Schuylkill River, but I do know that you can go as far as Valley Forge. It also connects with some side trails at a few places. There's a very ambitious program to build side trails throughout the region, some of these are actually open: Trails | Montgomery County, PA - Official Website (montcopa.org)

There are hotels nearby 30th St. in Center City and near the University of Pennsylvania.

 

[Bzhayes]

Another great opportunity is the Empire Builder. Jump off at La Crosse, WI and ride the USBR 30 as far as Milwaukee or any of the great trails in the area: The Best Bicycling in La Crosse, Wisconsin (and Why Any Cyclist Would Be Wise to Visit) - ExploreLaCrosse

 

[SanDiegan]

Great thread !

 

[Asher]

Great thread !

I agree. Very invigorating.

 

[mulveyr]

Does it specifically have to be a rail trail? The Erie Canal trail ( now part of the Empire State Trail in NY ) is parallel and extremely close to ( in some cases, literally just feet away ) from a multitude of Amtrak stations all across NY.

 

[Ryan]

Not a rail trail, but a towpath: The Capitol Limited runs along the C&O Towpath from DC to Cumberland, Maryland. There is also a stop in Harpers Ferry. Martinsburg, VA is near the C&O but when I looked on Google maps it looked like a pretty harrowing bike ride across the river on a cramped highway bridge.

You also has the GAP trail that runs the other way from Cumberland to PGH.

 

[boratwanksta]

Also, when Vermont's Amtrak trains start running again in July, the Castleton VT Amtrak station is across the street from the start of the D&H (Delaware & Hudson) rail trail, which extends 7 miles along the old D&H Washington Branch to Poultney, and another couple miles below that. There are additional non-contiguous portions of the trail farther south.

So Vermont finally is restoring their state supported trains, by July 2021? Good to hear, though I wish they had done that sooner IMO. As I remember, Vermont was like the only state that didn't restore at least some level of their state supported train runs, by mid to late 2020.

I wish on a side note, Adirondack could be restored now at least between NYC and Plattsburgh, and Cascades from Seattle to at least Belllingham. Since who knows when the US/Canada land border will be reopened, again. Though I hope that does happen before the end of 2021, myself.

On a side note when I turned the biking/trail thing on in google maps, didn't realize there was a biking trail between Anniston and Atlanta. The part of the trail in Alabama is called the Chief Ladaga Trail, and in Georgia the Silver Comet Trail.

 

[Saddleshoes]

Not a rails to trails trail but...

The Adventure Cycling Association - Route 66 Section #1 goes from Chicago to St. Louis following the historic route 66. It is about 300 miles long with lots of history and interesting things to see and experience. Good food, lodging and/or camping are readily available on this route too.

The Amtrak's Illinois Service "Lincoln Service" trains #'s 301, 303 (south bound) and #'s 305, 307 (north bound) as well as the Texas Eagle run within yards of the bike route for much of the way. Station stops are about every 30 miles. Check the schedule because not all trains stop at all stations.

 

[rail sale]

I know that rail trails are a bit of a hot button on a train forum, but we really enjoy bicycling on them.

Are there any Amtrak stations that are convenient to rail trails, preferably with a hotel nearby where we can drop off some bags before we set off on our bicycles?

Hi, I created this visualization it doesn't specifically show bike trails but you can filter stations by general bikeability and there is a tab to see the closest hotels.
https://public.tableau.com/views/Ra...ay_count=y&publish=yes&:origin=viz_share_link