A Rail Trail Around the Corner

I am a devoted train spotter and counter on our many travels throughout the country, so it should come as no surprise that on my “to do list” is the desire to explore rail trails. The Ripper and I came across a good one last summer. The Katy Trail crosses the state of Missouri and is known as one of the crown jewels of the system. We noticed a sign for it while we were on our way back to Park City from the East Coast last summer, on Route 70, so we peeled off the highway and enjoyed reading the historic panels at the restored station but had no time to ride. We pledged to return.

My ears perked up when Park City’s own rail trail was mentioned on our local radio station during my commute to school one day last week. The Memorial Day weekend loomed, and with no campground reservation to be found, riding the Rail Trail seemed like the perfect plan. We loaded the bikes onto the truck and headed to town where the trail connects with our City Park. This section of the trail was familiar turf as it serves as a connector between many of the bike paths in town.

The fun began when we crossed the highway and entered ranch country. A cattle grate separated us from real livestock. A herd of huge black mother cows and their babies lay ahead. They watched us with their big eyes as we pedaled through with an occasional moo. The trail is primarily owned by the State and County, but occasionally has rights of way through private land.

The first day’s journey ended at the Promontory Station. The parking lot was abuzz with people of all ages loading and unloading bikes. Rail trails, as it turns out, are perfect for a family ride as they tend to be flat, follow flowing water, and are blessedly car free. Better yet, dotted along the trail are small placards with bits of information about both natural and man-made history. I learned for the first time about the Lincoln Highway, America’s first paved transcontinental road, known as America’s Main Street. Sections of the old road bed were visible from the rail trail.

Promontory served as the start of day two’s adventure, which took us into a narrow canyon gliding slightly downhill for 16 miles. The weather was glorious, and the hills sported a velvet green spring covering from the recently melted snow. Lilacs festooned the trail banks leaving us with a lovely scent as we pedaled by. The Weber River was full of fly fishermen casting their rods and we were just happy to be rail trailing.

Our destination, Coalville, a quiet town and the County seat, was just ahead. A sign that advertised clean restrooms, a picnic area and refreshments caught our eye and we headed to a Chevron station right smack dab in the middle of a Main Street from the 1940s. Indeed, a small terrace with a picnic table and a bike rack, awaited us under a magnificent pine tree. Our luck was certainly with us that day, as the owner of the station, a true Senior Ripper, ambled over to greet us. His infectious smile made him a natural storyteller and we soon learned of the tree’s origins (planted when his grandfather went to World II, never to return), the evolution of gasoline (remember, leaded gas?), and the special role a tow company can play in the time of Covid (getting families back on the road safely). His wife joined us and the lift that you get when you meet remarkable people carried us home.

So, Fellow Rippers, investigate your own local Rail Trail this summer. Who knows what adventures await around the corner?

Keep moving, stay safe, have fun.