• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Cycle Forward

Cycle Forward

Amy Camp - Trail Towns, Nature Experiences, Marketing Places

  • Contact
  • About
  • Buy My Book
  • Trail Tourism & Placemaking
  • Outdoor Experiences
  • Events & Speaking
  • Writing

Writing by Amy Camp

Knowing Better, Doing Better

June 18, 2025 • Articles

My professional purpose is deeply tied to helping communities prosper through trails. I’ve been specializing in the Trail Town model since 2007 and spend a lot of time on this topic. And yet, I’m always learning and sometimes even have to reconsider what I thought I knew about Trail Towns. One of these moments occurred in 2023 when I learned that the Florida Trail Gateway Communities program was the first functioning Trail Town initiative. In that very moment, I realized I needed to update my book, Deciding on Trails. 

Topics: Deciding on Trails, Trail Towns, Trail Towns and Communities

First-Time Study on Trail Community Programs

February 26, 2025 • Articles

For the first time, a collective study has been conducted to understand the structure, challenges, and impacts of Trail Town & Gateway Community programs across the U.S. and Canada. This survey gathered insights from 19 programs that serve hundreds of communities and thousands of trail miles. In his book, On Trails, Robert Moor writes that “every […]

Topics: Trail Research, Trail Towns and Communities, Trails and Nature

Questions People Ask About Trail Towns (Part 1)

January 23, 2025 • Articles

I’m passionate about the Trail Town model and have devoted the last 18 years of my life to the topic. Wow, just writing that is really kind of staggering to me! It’s more than just work for me. I feel deeply devoted to helping communities, trail managers, and entire regions figure out how to create […]

Topics: Trail Towns and Communities, Travel and Tourism

“You Can’t Bake a Cake Without Flour”: Reflections on the World Trails Conference

October 9, 2024 • Articles

I have so much to unpack following last week’s World Trails Conference in Ottawa, Canada! The conference gathered 400 people from 35 countries and was a truly inspiring event. It was both a thrill and an honor to be among a global audience that was thinking about how trails can have a greater impact on planet Earth.

Topics: Trail Towns and Communities, Trails and Nature, Travel and Tourism

Spellbound on the North Atlantic: The Wonder of Whales

August 29, 2024 • Articles

Some of you may know that I was in Newfoundland earlier this month. It’s a spectacular place (here are some photos). We went on a boat tour south of St. John’s hoping to see both whales and puffins. Before boarding, we noticed a white board that noted the day’s wildlife sightings. Whales weren’t listed. “Oh well,” we thought. Who can control such a thing? Our tour guide further cemented (or anchored?) the message, telling us that whale sightings are only so likely in the middle of August…

Topics: human connection, nature, Travel and Tourism

Friends of the Riverfront: Three Rivers Water Trail Management Plan

August 1, 2024 • Portfolio

The Three Rivers Water Trail is a series of 31 river access points along the Allegheny, Ohio, and Monongahela, and Youghiogheny Rivers in Allegheny County (Pittsburgh, PA). Many Pittsburghers (including Amy!) can be found recreating along these historic rivers. The Water Trail is managed and maintained by nonprofit Friends of the Riverfront (Friends) with assistance […]

Topics: Plan Development, Trail Research, water trail

Leadership Reflections: Upon Graduating from the Appalachian Leadership Institute

July 26, 2024 • Articles

In the interest of not burying the lead, let me first say I graduated from the Appalachian Leadership Institute (ALI) on Wednesday. It’s been quite the journey, one that has taken the better part of the last year to complete. I’ve gone to sessions in six Appalachian states as well as D.C. We learned about community development, economic development, tourism, housing, healthcare, and other issues and opportunities within the region. It’s been the learning and bonding experience of a lifetime! If you have the opportunity to apply to future cohorts, JUST DO IT! 

Topics: human connection, Personal Authentic Self, small business, Travel and Tourism

Creating a New “We”: PA Downtown Conference Reflections

July 2, 2024 • Articles

I’d like to reflect on the PA Downtown Conference’s opening keynote presentation, which focused on how we can aspire to become a stronger, more unified nation. The speaker, Shaylyn Romney Garrett, co-authored The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do it Again. Her co-author was Robert Putnam, best known for Bowling Alone. 

Topics: human connection

North Central Appalachia Mountain Bike Summit: Activating and Connecting Trails and Communities

July 1, 2024 • Portfolio

Photo courtesy of IMBA According to the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA), mountain biking contributes $133 billion annually to the U.S. economy. Interest in mountain biking continues to grow and evolve, especially with the rise of new trends such as bikepacking, gravel riding, and electric-assist mountain bikes (e-bikes). When the Pennsylvania Environmental Council wanted to […]

Topics: Community Engagement, Event Planning, Trail Research, Trail Towns and Communities

Swamp Rabbit Trail Trip Report

April 10, 2024 • Articles

I stopped by the Swamp Rabbit Trail in early December. I had been in nearby Spartanburg, South Carolina attending the Appalachian Leadership Institute (and also had given a keynote presentation at the Carolina Thread Trail Forum in neighboring North Carolina)…

Topics: small business, Trail Towns and Communities, Trails and Nature, Travel and Tourism

  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 8
  • Go to Next Page »

Footer

About Cycle Forward

Cycle Forward is the trail town consultancy of Amy Camp.

 

The Book for Trail Towns

Deciding on Trails: 7 Practices of Healthy Trail Towns

by Amy Camp    January 2020

Buy My Book

Email Newsletter

Follow Amy’s newsletter for her insights on placemaking, trail tourism, community engagement, and the wonder of nature.

Find Out More and Sign Up

  • facebook
  • instagram
  • linkedin
  • youtube
PA Certified Women's Business Enterprise

Copyright © 2025 Cycle Forward.