Six ways to Support a Trail Town

The power trail visitors possess to make a town more welcoming

Shops and dining in downtown Loveland, Ohio face the trail and invite visitors on the Little Miami Scenic Trail to enjoy a trailside experience.

Trail Towns is a program born on the Great Allegheny Passage that has been embraced by many towns. It is a lifestyle a town, its businesses, government, and residents embrace to encourage outdoor recreation users to visit their town. The result is a town that grows economically with increased tourism resulting in new and reinvented businesses that meet visitors’ needs.

A Trail Town is a vibrant destination where people come together. It is a place where trail users can venture off hiking, biking, equestrian, or paddling trails to enjoy the amenities and unique heritage of the community, benefiting the town economically and socially. — Florida Office of Greenways and Trails 

Trail Town writings often concentrate on how to be a more welcoming town, how to entice new businesses, and spotlights on towns that are the stars of a trail town network. Little is written about how trail visitors can help the town see the value of and become a welcoming town. Outdoor recreation enthusiasts have the power to do just that. Here are some ways to help a town become a trail town.

A unique dog fountain in the center of downtown Mount Vernon, Ohio invites Ohio to Erie Trail visitors to rest, shop, and dine a few blocks off the trail.

Stop, shop, eat, and explore.

Spend money at businesses along the trail. A stop for something to eat, an ice cream cone on a hot day, a new bicycle gadget, or a memento of your ride puts money into the community. Healthy businesses help support the trail. The power of your dollar is a superpower that supports a trail town.

The trail led me to your door.

Let the diner, bike shop, gift shop, Airbnb, library, and other places you visit know you came from the trail. Be a good trail ambassador by being friendly and welcoming to the townspeople. Share your delight with the hospitality of the people and business in the town. The power of seemingly insignificant encounters gets shared and creates a trail town buzz reinforcing the trail town’s vibe.   

Be a social media influencer.

Spread the word about your trail town experiences through social media posts, photos, videos, and reviews. Facebook and Instagram give each of us the power to be a trail town influencer. Raising the visibility of what a town has to offer and what makes it unique and worth a visit attracts future visitors.  The power of shared experiences and encounters brings businesses and amenities to the trail town.

Make a better world.

Volunteer and support the trail town you visit often. Trail towns and trails need visionaries, advocates, grant writers, committee members, and volunteers to keep the momentum moving forward. The power of your time and dollars helps grow the amenities and services that make a town a trail town.

Shape the future.

Get involved in shaping the future of the trail town. Trail towns are constantly evolving. There are always new opportunities to improve the trail, the town, and how they connect. Attend trail town events. Vote for candidates who support welcoming trail visitors to the town. The power of your visibility and support helps the town grow and reap the benefits of the trail economy.

Educate yourself.

Trail town networks are growing with the increasing popularity of outdoor recreation. Savvy towns know that bringing people into the town and getting them to spend their hard-earned dollars is more than a sign at the trailhead pointing to downtown.

No two trail town networks are the same. Each targets and caters to the trail visitors' needs and expectations. I encourage you to venture down the trail town internet wormhole to become a knowledgeable and powerful advocate for trail towns.

Meyersdale, Pennsylvania invites Great Allegheny Passage trail visitors downtown from their trailhead restored train depot visitors center and museum.

Start your trail town journey here.

• Deciding on Trails: 7 Practices of Healthy Trail Towns
  A must-read book for Trail Town newbies and advocates alike

• The Progress Fund Trail Town Portal
  There are many good Trail Town resources to get you started here.

• Rails to Trails Trail Town resource page
  Many excellent Trail Town programs are highlighted and linked here.

• Great Allegheny Passage Trail Towns
  Perhaps the best Trail Town web portal in my opinion.

• Buckeye Trail Trail Towns
  Ohio’s only Trail Town program

• Cycle Forward’s Substack newsletter
  Amy Camp shares good news and information on Trail Towns

Power to the trail town visitor!
Tom on the Trails