The Northern Rail Trail is receiving national attention these days, not only for its recreational value to the people of the Northeast but as a model of grassroots organization and trail-building.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC), the nation’s largest rail trail organization, this month featured the 52-mile rail trail through Grafton and Merrimack counties as its Trail of the Month. Written by RTC writer Laura Stark, a story about the Northern Rail Trail and the groups and individuals that helped build and now maintain the trail is featured at RTC’s Web site at RailsToTrails.org/news/recurringFeatures/trailMonth/archives/1303.html and was e-mailed to the group’s more than 500,000 news subscribers across the country. The eyes of America’s rail trail community will be well and truly trained on New Hampshire.

According to RTC’s Manager of Communications, Jake Lynch, the organization and cooperation of a number of local groups is what makes the story of the Northern Rail Trail so remarkable.

Shortly after the trail corridor was turned over to the state, snowmobile groups saw the potential of the trail for recreational use and began to work on it. To address the needs of the trail during the warmer months, two non-profit groups were formed, one in each of the two counties that the trail traversed.

“Obviously the locals involved could see what a wonderful amenity the trail would be for the area,” Lynch says. “This level of cooperation is pretty rare in rail trail development. The way the various groups were able to share the responsibility and heavy lifting of getting the trail built, and now maintaining and promoting the trail, speaks volumes of their community spirit and vision. They should be proud of the fact that, across America, other communities have been inspired by their example, and the story of how the Northern Rail Trail came to be is now a lesson is trail building for others.”

The Northern Rail Trail was also featured in an RTC trail building report last year. Community Built: Stories of Volunteers Creating and Caring for Their Trails selected remarkable examples of local communities making good on their trail ambitions despite limited funding or government assistance.

“Everywhere you go, you hear that times are tough,” Lynch says. “Particularly in the world of trail-building, resources for development and maintenance are limited or nonexistent, and it can be disheartening for volunteers and advocates who face seemingly insurmountable planning challenges and multi-million dollar estimates. By sharing stories like that of the Northern Rail Trail we wanted to give potential trail champions heart, and show them that stories abound of trails getting developed, extended, and cared for with minimal resources.”

Lynch says that extending the Northern Rail Trail or connecting it to other trails would greatly expand not only its popularity but also its economic value to the communities along its route.

“Rail trails like this one are sustaining and invigorating towns, cities, and main streets across America with a trails tourism economy that is worth billions of dollars a year,” Lynch says. “Last year, Americans spent more on bike gear and trips than they spent on airplane tickets and fees. That’s a market that trail towns everywhere are eager to tap into. And one way to do that is by building more miles for longer journeys, connecting to other trails, and by investing in amenities and businesses to serve visiting trail users.”

About Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC, whose mission it is to create a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors to build healthier places for healthier people. Formed in 1986, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy serves as the national voice for more than 100,000 members and supporters. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy remains dedicated to the creation of a nationwide network of trails and is committed to enhancing the health of America’s environment, transportation, economy, neighborhoods, and people — ensuring a better future made possible by trails and the connections they inspire.