I and a few others hauled the rock. At the beginning shows a company called Killoughs. They had the contract and hired us. We backed into a modified paver to spread the rock. Often backing down the old rail right of way for a couple miles. The railroad bridges made that not boring. Of course no guardrails till we laid all the rock. We would work 2-3 weeks at a time then 2-3 weeks doing something else. When the tracks were first removed I had a lot of trapping permission along the old road bed. Caught a lot of fur. illegal to drive anything on it now. Made more money building it than I did trapping it so there is that.

Around here they had some lawsuits when they made some of those old RR grades into bike trails. Quite a few places the railroad didn't own the right of way, it was an easement that stated on the deed that all rights returned to the landowner if the railroad ceased to use it. When they made bike trails out of them after they pulled the tracks out some of the landowners sued over that.

Exact same thing here.
Rails to Trails program.
Utter BS.
We have a farm that borders an abandoned RR bed. Clearly states in our deed that when abandoned, the RR bed reverts back to the adjoining landowner. Well, when abandoned, the RR donated it to the federal Rails to Trails clown show. Luckily this is a super rural and flood prone area, so I don’t ever see the RR bed ever being made into a yuppie bike trail.
But it still isn’t right.

Atlanta has done that with their silver comet trail. The idea to link up various suburbs on the north side of town. Turned into a rapist hunting ground evidently as regular reports of assaults occurring.

Agreed same happened in Mi. Nothing went back to the landholders and despite being designated as public land it isn't

WI has a lot of trails from old rail beds

some ATV UTV

some hike and bike

some get made snowmobile for the winter

makes a guy think about trapping land along the bike ones with an electric bike.

exact same here happening now

Same thing here for the KATY Trail! Very long story, took over a decade to settle, but the landowners finally got a pretty good payout. All that beautiful scenery broken up with restaurants, winery's, Mom/Pop bars and Antique/Chotchky stores, selling #1 and #2 BEAR traps! LOL What a load of crap!

My only experience with the rails to trails was as a rider. Very positive experience. The trail was well crept and clear of all trash. Not one drink can or chip wrapper. I road the Chief Ladiga trail from Anniston Al to the Ga. line where it turned into the Silver Commet. I continued on to Fish Creek before turning around and riding back to Anniston.

Same in Nebraska. The Cowboy Trail from Norfolk to Chadron. Walking, bicycling and horses are allowed but no overnight camping. 321 miles but gets used very little other than small town walkers.

how are you supposed to use something when you can't stay there.

needs a camping area just off the trail every days walk or so

you would think places just off the trail would charge 10 dollars a head and a buck a gallon for water to spend the night

I have the same question. It was bought by a do-gooder group for millions and donated to Nebraska Game and Parks. They are throwing money into it building new wooden bridges across every little drainage. Government at its finest.