Indianapolis' Cultural Trail leads walkers and bikers through some of the city's best sights.
Indianapolis
Given its thoughtful layout, it's no surprise that Indianapolis is constructing what will become one of America's finest urban pathways, the Indianapolis Cultural Trail. The vision of Gene and Marilyn Glick, the trail will not only link the five downtown cultural districts, but will provide biker and pedestrian access to the majority of the city's leafy neighborhoods. After dining at a trendy Mass Avenue café--like Aesop's Tables--strollers can work off hummus and tapenade along Indiana Avenue, sauntering to the Canal Walk and into White River State Park. Like the best urban trails, the Cultural Trail links the cyclist and jogger to a 16-mile extension trail conveying ambitious amblers out of the city's core.
The climb up Battlefield Creek Trail may be strenuous, but the views are rewarding.
Hamilton, Ontario
Visitors to this city of over 100 waterfalls have no excuse not to experience dozens of designated trails, beginning with the Hamilton Harbour Waterfront Trail, a twelve-year-old, 2.5-mile track that signaled Steel City's reclamation of its Lake Ontario waterfront. The Waterfront Trail project also restored vital marshlands and established native flora along the path. The Red Hill Valley Recreational Trail traverses Red Hill Creek for seven miles with numerous entrances along the course. Nature lovers may also ascend the Battlefield Creek Trail for a rigorous workout, while those wishing to see and be seen can bike, run and rollerblade along the Bayfront Park Trail.
Flagstaff, Az.
The outdoors-obsessed discovered Flagstaff decades ago, drawn by abundant park access both inside and outside city limits. Not surprisingly, the Flagstaff Urban Trails System, or FUTS (pronounced "foots"), is one of the best small city networks on the continent. The city boasts 50 miles of trails, with plans to add another 80 miles. Only fifty-percent of the FUTS is paved, no doubt so mountain bikers and trail runners can keep on their treads without leaving the city limits. Flagstaffers easily access the Arizona Trail, the 800-mile recreation trail that runs from the Mexican border to Utah, including 17.3 moderate miles within the city limits spanning from Fisher Point to Schultz Pass.
