Trail Use Continues to Rise as Majority of Americans Say Trails are Important to Community Well-Being.
WASHINGTON, D.C.—New data released today by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC), the nation’s largest trails advocacy organization, shows trail use and demand for trails rebounding to near the record-setting levels of the pandemic. The data includes an analysis of trail counts for 2022, alongside new findings from a benchmark study commissioned by the organization about the perceptions of trails and active transportation nationwide.
Nationwide, RTC’s trail counters showed an average increase in trail use of 9.5% between 2022 and 2021, and a marginal 1.5% decline compared with 2020—the most significant year for trail use on record. Notably, trail use in 2022 is 45% higher than in 2019, demonstrating enduring demand for trails across the country.