Rails to Trails Conservancy (RTC) — Great American Rail-Trail and TrailLink Platform
Business Profile
Core Value Proposition
Rails to Trails Conservancy provides national advocacy, resources, and collaborative initiatives to connect communities through trails, including the Great American Rail-Trail and TrailLink, enabling safe walking, biking and active outdoor lifestyles.
Target Customer
Trail advocates, public leaders, professionals in urban planning and transportation, city/county governments, parks and recreation departments, nonprofits, and institutions involved in trail planning, funding, and maintenance.
Key Differentiator
1) The Great American Rail-Trail—the nation’s first cross-country multiuse trail (~3,700+ miles) connecting Washington, D.C. to Washington State. 2) TrailLink—a nationwide trail finder platform for discovering and exploring trails. 3) TrailNation Collaborative—a peer-learning community for advocates, public leaders and professionals to share tools and methods for building trail networks. 4) Comprehensive funding and policy advocacy with multi-year impact data and grant programs.
Implementation Timeline
No explicit implementation timeline is provided in the content. RTC provides ongoing tools, resources, and programs (TrailLink, TrailNation Collaborative, Trail Grants) that can be engaged with immediately, with longer-term impact measured through annual progress reports and grants.
Pain Points
- 1Uncertainty and potential reduction of federal funding and corridor-preservation protections for trails at the federal level.
- 2Difficulty in connecting and building multiuse trail networks across diverse regions and communities.
- 3Need for trusted resources, technical guidance, and funding to plan, implement and maintain trails and active transportation infrastructure.
Key Features
- 1TrailLink: a nationwide trail finder platform to locate and explore trails.
- 2Great American Rail-Trail: cross-country route planning, progress updates, and economic impact messaging.
- 3TrailNation Collaborative: a learning community with tools, webinars, training, and a playbook for building trail networks.
- 4Resource Library, Webinars & Training, Playbook for Building Trail Networks, and Mapping/Research insights.
- 5Trail Grants Program and federal funding resources to support trail projects.
Target Customer Industries
Decision Makers
- 1City Planner
- 2Public Works Director
- 3Parks and Recreation Director
- 4Transportation Planner
- 5Nonprofit Executive Director
- 6Local Government Official
- 7Advocate / Community Leader
Client Results
- 141,400+ miles of multiuse trails across the country.
- 2150+ trail networks being built in the U.S., with at least one in every state.
- 3$24 Billion in federal active transportation funding supported trail, walking and biking projects.
- 490 Million people connected to trails via TrailLink.
- 51 Million+ grassroots taking action to support trails.
- 67,500+ professionals and advocates involved in spurring trail and active transportation network development.
- 712,000 miles of trail being connected through TrailNation.
Competitive Advantages
- 1Large, tangible national scale with cross-country infrastructure ambition (Great American Rail-Trail).
- 2Integrated toolkit and platforms (TrailLink, TrailNation Collaborative, grant programs, research/resources).
- 3Strong advocacy and policy influence focused on securing federal funding and protections for trails.
- 4Demonstrated impact metrics and historical momentum (multi-year progress reports and publicized outcomes).
- 5Community and professional network of 1M+ supporters across diverse stakeholders.
Key Benefits
Case Studies & Success Stories
Idaho’s Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes: July 2025 Trail of the Month
Feature highlighting a notable trail within the Great American Rail-Trail ecosystem, illustrating RTC’s Trail of the Month program and regional trail impact.
Minnesota’s Mesabi Trail: October 2025 Trail of the Month
Showcases a long regional trail (165 miles) recognized as Trail of the Month, demonstrating RTC’s ecosystem and volunteer/partner engagement.
Using Trails: A Mental and Physical Journey Along the Great American Rail-Trail
RTC content illustrating personal journeys along the Great American Rail-Trail, highlighting user engagement and experiential value.
Additional Product Information
Product Description
A national advocacy and resource organization focused on connecting and maintaining trail networks, with flagship initiatives including the Great American Rail-Trail (a cross-country route), the TrailLink trail finder platform, and the TrailNation Collaborative learning community.
Target Market
Communities, public agencies, local and state governments, nonprofits, trail advocates, and professionals involved in planning, funding, building, and maintaining trail networks.
Unique Value Proposition
RTC combines a cross-country trail vision with actionable tools (TrailLink), a collaborative professional network (TrailNation Collaborative), and robust funding/policy advocacy to accelerate creation and connection of trails at scale.
Technical Requirements
Access to TrailLink and participation in the TrailNation Collaborative; engagement with RTC resources, webinars, and grant programs. No specific technical prerequisites are stated beyond using the RTC platforms.
Pricing Model
Donations-based funding (one-time or monthly gift options) and Trail Grants; membership and other giving options mentioned (e.g., Trailblazer Society, legacy giving). Specific pricing details are not provided for services beyond donation options.
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