Rails to Trails Conservancy
Non-profit OrganizationsDistrict of Columbia, United States51-200 Employees
Rails to Trails Conservancy (RTC) is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit founded in 1986 that serves as the national voice for the rail-trail movement. It advocates for integrating trail networks into community design to improve health and well-being and works to link corridors into expansive networks that connect people and places. Its flagship initiatives—TrailLink.com, TrailNation, and the Great American Rail-Trail—put that strategy into action by supporting rail-trail development and the policies that enable it. Its reach includes more than a million grassroots supporters and thousands of miles of rail-trails on the ground, with additional mileage ready to be built. RTC collaborates with public leaders, advocates, and professionals to advance trail and active-transportation networks nationwide and hosts events such as the TrailNation Summit. In April 2026, RTC announced a collaboration with DS Simon Media to highlight hidden-gem trails ahead of Celebrate Trails Day.