There’s been a buzz about the trails community since the Great Allegheny Passage Conservancy released its latest economic impact report. It’s the first economic impact study on the GAP since the trail was completed in 2013. The economic growth is impressive: the GAP Conservancy attributes $74 million in direct spending (2019) to GAP trail use, […]
Writing by Amy Camp
Shoulder Season Bike Touring Calls for Preparation, Trail Angels, and Grace
Thoughts on fall bike overnights I’m part of a Facebook group that’s dedicated to the Great Allegheny Passage and C&O Canal Towpath. The group has more than 14,000 members, many of whom are planning and celebrating their trail trips and offering each other support along the way. It’s fun to see how many people are […]
Fancy Like a Hometown Diner?
The importance of supporting local businesses I’m not one to keep up on modern country music or TikTok dance sensations. If not for my cousin’s recent wedding I would be totally out of the loop on Walker Hayes’s song, “Fancy Like” and the dance it inspired. But seeing a bunch of people line up and […]
Connellsville Nature-Based Placemaking Project: Cultivating an Outdoor Culture in a Longtime Trail Town
A community can check all the right boxes as a trail town and still need help in connecting to its trails and outdoor assets. Cycle Forward worked in Connellsville, Pennsylvania to help improve its connection to the Great Allegheny Passage, foster an outdoor culture, and lead hands-on placemaking projects. Dates: January – October 2021 Client: […]
New York State Canalway Water Trail: Inspiring Stewardship Across the Empire State
Imagine the massive challenge of stewarding a 450-mile water trail. Launch areas, parking lots, and riverbanks all need ongoing attention to ensure a quality trail experience. This prompted the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor to develop a trail-wide stewardship program along the New York State Canalway Water Trail. They hired Cycle Forward to help make it happen.
“Taking Heart” in Responses to Deciding on Trails
The final section of Deciding on Trails is titled, “Taking Heart in Trails.” A little over a month since publishing, I can say that I have taken heart in the positive response to the book.
COVID-19’s Impact on PA Trails: Uncovering Increased Use and Newfound Appreciation
We all know that the outdoors served as a vital outlet during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trail and park managers around the globe reported increased use as people took to nature for their personal wellbeing. Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) recognized the need to understand the pandemic’s impact on trails and hired Cycle Forward to lead the research. […]
Community Pain Points in the time of COVID
I have a lot of thoughts (and questions) around how trail communities – how any community – will recover from the pandemic. But in this moment, I simply want to acknowledge what a difficult time this has been for people.
Getting Outside in a Time of Social Distancing
Life has changed pretty significantly over the last couple of weeks. I sense that we’re all doing the best we can to get by despite the very real hardships that so many of us face. One of the things that’s been on my mind, like many of you, is how safe is it to go […]
Are we Hungry for Thriving Communities?
In her memoir, Hunger, Roxane Gay writes of romantic relationships, “…it’s a shame that the measure is what is not so bad instead of what is thriving and good.” That insight caught my attention because it’s true for so many people. No doubt, we all have friends or family members who stay in relationships that […]
