This page provides a guide to abandoned railroad right-of-ways converted to rail-trails for hiking, cycling, horseback riding, snowmobiling, and recreation in the Midwest.
400 State Trail - 22-mile rail-trail on a former Chicago & North Western Railroad grade between Reedsburg and Elroy, Wisconsin, where it joins the Elroy-Sparta State Trail and Omaha Trail
Agassiz Recreational Trail - 53-mile rail-trail between Crookston and Ulen, Minnesota
Ahnapee State Trail - 30-mile rail-trail between Casco, Algoma, and Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Alborn-Pengilly Railroad ATV Trail - 42-mile rail-trail on an abandoned railroad grade from Pengilly to Alborn, Minnesota
Badger State Trail - 40-mile rail-trail from Madison, Wisconsin to the Illinois state line through the 1200-foot Stewart Tunnel
Bearskin State Park Trail - 18-mile rail-trail between County Highway K and Minocqua, Wisconsin
Betsie Valley Trail - 22-mile rail-trail in Benzie County, Michigan
Big Rivers Regional Trail - 4.5-mile rail-trail built on the rail bed of the Minnesota Central Railroad between Mendota Heights and Lillydale, Minnesota
Bike & Hike Trail - 33.5-mile rail-trail on the former Akron, Bedford & Cleveland (ABC) Railroad between Sagamore Hills and Boston Heights, Ohio
Bruce Vento Regional Trail - 7-mile paved trail on a former Burlington Northern Railroad grade in St. Paul, Minnesota
Bugline Trail - 12-mile rail-trail on the former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroad right-of-way in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
Cannon Valley Trail - 19.7-mile rail-trail on a former Chicago Great Western Railroad grade between Cannon Falls, Welch, and Red Wing in southeastern Minnesota
Cardinal Greenway - Recreation trail on 60 miles of former CSX railroad between Marion and Richmond in East Central Indiana
Casey Jones State Trail - 13-mile rail-trail between Pipestone and the Pipestone/Murray county line, Minnesota
Cedar Lake Trail - 4.5-mile trail parallels the BNSF railroad tracks between St. Louis Park and Minneapolis, Minnesota
Cedar Valley Nature Trail - 52-mile linear trail running from Hiawatha to Evansdale, Iowa constructed on an abandoned Illinois Central Gulf railroad right-of-way
Central Lakes Trail - 55-mile paved trail follows a former Burlington Northern Railroad grade between Fergus Falls and Osakis in central Minnesota
Chichaqua Valley Trail - 20-mile paved rail-trail from Baxter to Bondurant, Iowa
Chippewa River State Trail - 30-mile paved rail-trail between Durand and Eau Claire, Wisconsin, with a connection to the Red Cedar Trail
Conotton Creek Trail - 11.4-mile rail-through through northern Harrison County, Ohio, on the former Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad grade
Constitution Trail - 24-mile rail-trail along the former Illinois Central Gulf Railroad through Bloomington and Normal, Illinois
Cowboy Trail - 161-mile rail-trail over an historic Chicago & North Western Railroad grade in Nebraska
Creekside Trail - 17.8-mile paved rail-trail between Xenia Station and Eastwood MetroPark, Ohio
Dakota Rail Trail - 20-mile trail on the former Burlington Northern Railroad grade between Wayzata and Mayer, Minnesota, linking Lake Minnetonka and Lake Waconia
Dequindre Cut Greenway - 1.35-mile paved trail built on a former Grand Trunk Railroad grade in Detroit, Michigan, running below street level parallel to St. Aubin Street
Devil's River State Trail - 14-mile rail-trail in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin
Douglas State Trail - 12.5-mile paved trail on the former Chicago Great Western Railway grade between Pine Island and Rochester, Minnesota
Elroy-Sparta State Trail - 32-mile rail-trail with three tunnels between Sparta and Elroy, Wisconsin, where it joins the 400 State Trail and Omaha Trail
Firelands Rails to Trails - 3.3-mile rail-trail between Norwalk and Monroeville, Ohio, part of the Huron County Rail Trail across northern Ohio
Flint Hills Nature Trail - 120 mile rail-trail under development in northeast Kansas
Fox River Trail - 32-mile rail-trail from Crystal Lake to Aurora, Illinois
Fred Meijer Heartland Trail - 41-mile rail-trail in central Michigan
Frisco Highline Trail - 35-mile rail-trail between Bolivar and Springfield, Missouri
Gandy Dancer State Trail - 98-mile rail-trail between Superior and St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, along the former Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad grade
Gateway-Brown's Creek Trail - 18-mile paved trail on a former Soo Line Railroad right-of-way between Pine Point Regional Park and St. Paul, Minnesota
Glacial Drumlin State Trail - 52-mile rail-trail between Cottage Grove and Waukesha, Wisconsin
Glacial Lakes Trail - 34-mile rail-trail between Willmar and Hawick, Minnesota on a former Burlington Northern Railroad grade
Glen Carbon Heritage Trail - 11-mile gravel rail-trail on the former Illinois Central right-of-way in Glen Carbon, Illinois
Grant's Trail - 8-mile suburban St. Louis, Missouri rail-trail goes past an exotic animal farm, President Ulysses Grant's house, the Budweiser Clydesdales pastures, old cemeteries, and more
Great River State Trail - 24-mile rail-trail on a former Chicago & North Western Railroad grade between Marshland and Medary, Wisconsin, where it becomes the La Crosse River State Trail
Great Western Trail (Iowa) - 16.5-mile paved rail-trail along the former Chicago, St. Paul and Kansas City Railroad between Des Moines and Martensdale, Iowa
Hardwood Creek Regional Trail - 9.5-mile trail built on a former Burlington Northern railroad grade between Hugo and Forest Lake, Minnesota
Harmony-Preston Trail - 18-mile paved rail-trail between Harmony and Preston, Minnesota
Hart-Montague Bicycle Trail - 23-mile paved rail-trail between Hart and Montague, Michigan on a former Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad grade
Heartland Pathways - 33-mile ribbon of trails and wildlife habitat on a former Illinois Central Railroad grade in Champaign, Illinois
Heartland State Trail - 49-mile rail-trail between Park Rapids and Cass Lake, Minnesota
Heritage Rail Trail - 7-mile paved rail-trail between Hilliard and Plain City in central Ohio
Heritage Trail - 26-mile crushed stone rail-trail between Dyersville and Dubuque, Iowa
High Trestle Trail - 25-mile rail-trail between Ankeny and Woodward, Iowa, including a half-mile long bridge over the Des Moines River
Hoosier Rails-to-Trails Council - Promotes trails of all kinds in Indiana, with a focus on multi-use rail-trails in the early stages of concept and development
Huron River Greenway - 7-mile rail-trail on the former Wheeling and Lake Erie Huron Branch between Huron and Milan in north central Ohio
Huron Valley Rail Trail - 10.5-mile trail on the former Grand Trunk Railroad from South Lyon, Michigan
Illinois Prairie Path - 61-mile paved rail-trail located about 20 miles west of Chicago, Illinois on a former Chicago Aurora & Elgin Railroad grade in Cook, DuPage, and Kane counties
Iowa Trails Council - Builds and networks public trails in Iowa
Kal-Haven Trail - 34-mile rail-trail between South Haven and Kalamazoo, Michigan on the abandoned Kalamazoo & South Haven Railroad grade
Katy Trail - 225-mile trail from St. Charles to Clinton, Missouri on the former corridor of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (better known as the Katy)
Kokosing Gap Trail - 14-mile paved rail-trail between Mount Vernon and Danville, Ohio on a former Pennsylvania Railroad right-of-way
La Crosse River State Trail - 21.5-mile rail-trail on a former Chicago & North Western Railroad grade between Medary and Sparta, Wisconsin, the connecting link between the Great River State Trail and the Elroy-Sparta State Trail
Lake Wobegon Trail - 46-mile paved rail-trail built on a former Burlington Northern Railroad grade between St. Joseph and Osakis, Minnesota
Landon Nature Trail - 40-mile rail-trail follows a former Missouri Pacific Railroad grade from Topeka, Kansas
Leelanau Trail - 15.5-mile rail-trail between Suttons Bay and Traverse City, Michigan
Lester Rail Trail - 3.2-mile rail-trail in York Township, Ohio
Little Beaver Creek Greenway Trail - 11-mile paved rail-trail on former Erie Lackawanna right-of-way between Lisbon and Leetonia, Ohio
Little Miami Scenic Trail - 75-mile rail-trail from Springfield in Clark County to Loveland and Milford in Hamilton County, Ohio, over former Little Miami Railroad right-of-way
Lost Bridge Trail - 5-mile trail on a former B&O Railroad grade between Rochester and Springfield, Illinois
Luce Line Trail - 63-mile rail-trail from the western metro suburb of Plymouth to the small town of Cosmos in west-central Minnesota, over the former Electric Short Line Railway route
Macomb Orchard Trail - 24-mile trail on the former Canadian National Railway grade between Shelby Township and Richmond, Michigan
Mesabi Trail - 132-mile paved rail-trail between Grand Rapids to Ely, Minnesota
Miami Valley Ohio Rails-To-Trails - Information about all rail-trails in southwest Ohio, with trail descriptions, pictures, and maps
Midtown Greenway - 5.5-mile rail-trail on an abandoned Milwaukee Road railroad corridor along 29th Street in South Minneapolis, Minnesota
Military Ridge State Park Trail - 40-mile rail-trail on a former Chicago & North Western Railroad grade between Dodgeville and Fitchburg, Wisconsin
Monon Trail - 15-mile rail-trail along the former Monon Railroad grade between Carmel and Indianapolis, Indiana
Moonville Rail Trail - 16-mile recreation trail on a former B&O railroad grade with two tunnels between Zaleski and Mineral, Ohio
Mountain-Bay State Trail - 83-mile rail-trail across north-central Wisconsin on a former Chicago & North Western right-of-way
Munger Trail - 68-mile paved rail-trail from Hinckley to Duluth, Minnesota
Musketawa Trail - 26-mile paved rail-trail between Muskegon and Marne, Michigan on the former Muskegon, Grand Rapids, and Indiana Railroad grade
Nickel Plate Trail - 40-mile trail follows the former Nickel Plate Railroad grade between Cassville, Peru, and Rochester, Indiana
North Central State Trail - 62-mile trail on the former Michigan Central Railroad grade between Gaylord and Mackinaw City, Michigan
Ohio to Erie Trail - Network of trails being built from Cincinnati to Cleveland, Ohio, using lands formerly occupied by railroads and canals
OhioBikeways.net - Informational directory with reviews and maps of Ohio's rail-trails and bikeways
Old Abe State Trail - 20-mile rail-trail connects Lake Wissota State Park and Brunet Island State Park in Chippewa County, Wisconsin
Old Plank Road Trail - 22-mile paved trail on the former Michigan Central Railroad grade between Chicago Heights, Frankfort, New Lenox, and Joliet, Illinois
Omaha Trail - 13-mile paved rail-trail between Camp Douglas and Elroy, Wisconsin, where it joins the Elroy-Sparta State Trail and 400 State Trail
Ozaukee Interurban Trail - 30-mile paved rail-trail spans the entire length of Ozaukee County, Wisconsin on the former Milwaukee Electric Railway grade
Paint Creek Trail - 8.9-mile trail on a former Penn Central Railroad grade between Lake Orion and Rochester, Michigan
Paul Bunyan Trail - 108-mile mostly-paved rail-trail from Brainerd to Bemidji, Minnesota over abandoned Burlington Northern track
Paul Henry-Thornapple Trail - 42-mile rail-trail between Vermontville and Grand Rapids, Michigan
Pere Marquette Rail Trail, Friends of - 30-mile paved rail-trail from Midland to Clare, Michigan on abandoned CSX Railroad property, originally the Pere Marquette Railroad
Pine Line Trail - 26-mile rail-trail from Morner Road in Price County to Medford, Wisconsin
Prairie Spirit Rail Trail - 50-mile rail-trail between the cities of Ottawa and Iola, Kansas, over a former Santa Fe Railroad corridor
Pumpkinvine Nature Trail - 17-mile linear park under construction on the former Pumpkinvine Railroad corridor between Goshen, Middlebury, and Shipshewana in north central Indiana
Racoon River Valley Trail - 57-mile paved rail-trail between Clive and Jefferson through the Raccoon River Valley of central Iowa
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy - Preserves unused rail corridors in the US by transforming them into trails
Red Cedar Trail - 14.5-mile rail-trail from Menomonie, Wisconsin along the Red Cedar River to the joining of the Chippewa River and Trail
Rock Island Trail State Park - 26-mile rail-trail from Alta in Peoria County to Toulon in Stark County, Illinois along the former Peoria and Rock Island Railroad
Root River Trail - 42-mile paved trail on a former Milwaukee Road railroad grade between Fountain and Houston, Minnesota
Saginaw Valley Rail Trail - 10-mile rail-trail between St. Charles and Saginaw, Michigan
Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail - 39-mile paved rail-trail between Mankato to Faribault, Minnesota
Soo Line North ATV Trail - 148-mile rail-trail from Cass Lake to Moose Lake, Minnesota, where it connects with the Soo Line South Trail
Soo Line South ATV Trail - 114-mile rail-trail from Saunders Junction (near Superior, WI) to Genola, Minnesota, connecting with the Soo Line North Trail
Southwest LRT Trail - 5-mile paved rail-trail in Hopkins, Minnesota, connecting with the Midtown Greenway Trail to downtown Minneapolis
Steamboat Trace Trail - 21-mile trail on a former railroad grade along the Missouri River from Nebraska City to Brownville, Nebraska
Sugar River State Trail - 23-mile rail-trail between New Glarus and Brodhead, Wisconsin
Summerset Trail - 12-mile paved rail-trail between Carlisle and Indianola, Iowa
Sunrise Prairie Trail - 23-mile paved trail on a former Burlington Northern Railroad grade between Hugo, Forest Lake, and North Branch, Minnesota
Three Rivers Trail - 33-mile rail-trail from Eagle Grove to Rolfe (Sunset Ridge Park), Iowa
Tunnel Hill Trail - 45-mile rail-trail from Harrisburg to Karnak, Illinois on the former Vincennes and Cairo Railroad (later Norfolk Southern)
Tuscobia State Trail - 74-mile multiuse trail on the abandoned Omaha Line railroad grade connecting Park Falls and Rice Lake, Wisconsin
Wabash Cannonball Trail - 63-mile rail-trail on a former Norfolk Southern grade in northwest Ohio
Wabash Trace Nature Trail - 63-mile rail-trail on the former Council Bluffs and St. Louis Railway (later Wabash Railroad) grade between Council Bluffs and Blanchard in southwest Iowa
White Pine Trail - 92-mile rail-trail from Comstock Park to Cadillac, Michigan over former Penn Central Railroad right-of-way
Wild Goose State Trail - 34-mile rail-trail on a former Chicago & North Western Railroad grade between Highway 60 and Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin
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