When I decided to return to outdoor cycling, I naturally began searching for interesting places to ride. In the process, I stumbled upon something I had never heard of before: the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Discovering their work felt like uncovering one of those quiet, remarkable stories that reminds me just how many thoughtful people are out there finding creative ways to improve the world.
Across America, abandoned railroad corridors are being transformed into places where people can once again travel—this time not by steam engine, but by bicycle, on foot, or on horseback. Miles of forgotten rail beds have been given new purpose, connecting communities, preserving history, and inviting people to experience the landscape at a slower pace.
As someone who loves both history and exploring back roads, I was immediately captivated. The idea that these trails trace the very routes where locomotives once carried people, goods, and stories from town to town appeals deeply to my imagination. Part of me has begun dreaming about riding as many of these trails as I can, one segment at a time. Whether that ever becomes reality remains to be seen, but it is the sort of long-term adventure that makes life richer simply by imagining it.
Last weekend, while spending a few days along Florida’s Emerald Coast, I packed my bicycle with the hope of exploring one of these coastal trails. The weather nearly had other plans, but I managed to slip away for a ride along the multi-use path that stretches the length of Navarre Beach.
Although Navarre was familiar territory—I spent many summers there visiting my aunt and uncle’s beach cabin—I had never paid attention to the trail running quietly between the Gulf of Mexico and Santa Rosa Sound. What I discovered was a peaceful, 7.2-mile ride through one of Florida’s most understated beach communities.
On that breezy late-summer afternoon, I encountered only one other cyclist. Most of the time, it felt as though I had the trail entirely to myself. Traveling at the gentle pace of a bicycle revealed details I would have missed from behind the windshield of a car: weathered cottages, sea oats dancing in the wind, quiet neighborhoods, glimpses of the Sound shimmering through the dunes, and the easy rhythm of coastal life.
That, I’ve discovered, is one of cycling’s greatest gifts. It slows the world down just enough to notice it.
The following photographs are a few of the moments I gathered along the trail—small glimpses of a place best experienced one slow mile at a time.
When I decided to add outdoor cycling back into my regular exercise routine, I naturally began to search around for the best biking trails in the area. I just happened onto this organization (Rails-to-Trails Conservancy) without having ever heard of their work before. I’m astounded and appreciative that there are a lot of really creative people out in the world putting together some really interesting ideas that benefit humanity.
This Rails-to-Trails network stretches 3000 miles across the US, repurposing old railroad tracks into biking/hiking trails. Somehow, in my history loving imagination I think it would be a blast to bike that entire distance in segments over time. I don’t know that I can actually make that happen but it would be a challenging and worthwhile project that I would very much enjoy doing. We’ll have to see how that dream pans out.
Anyway, while on vacation at the beach last weekend, I took my bike along with the intention of finding some interesting trails to ride. The weather almost didn’t cooperate with me on that but I did manage to get in one short trail ride at Navarre Beach, between the beach and the Sound. My aunt and uncle owned a beach cabin in Navarre Beach when we were growing up so it wasn’t that I was totally unfamiliar with the area, just that I had never given a single thought to the fact that there is a bike path that runs from one end of the beach to the other, making for a nice 7.2 mile ride.
I rode it on a perfectly lovely, breezy end-of-summer day. I only encountered one other biking soul on that day. All in all, that ride enabled me to get an intimate view of the coastal life of a charming seaside town. Below I have posted some images of things that I encountered on the trail.
