September 11th National Memorial Trail
September 11th National Memorial Trail, also known as the 9/11 Trail, is a network of trails and roadways nearly 1,300 miles (2,100 km) long connecting the Flight 93 National Memorial, the Pentagon Memorial, and the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.[1] It is tribute to those who perished in September 11, 2001 attacks and to those who responded to them.
The dedication was initiated by an act of Congress.[2] President Joe Biden signed H.R. 2278, officially designating the trail route on October 13, 2021.
The triangular-shaped trail - to the sites of the memorials in Arlington, Virginia and New York City, and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania - passes through six Mid-Atlantic states and Washington, D.C.[3] At its inception it incorporated 55% off-road trails and 45% existing roadways.[4] A 1.5 mile purpose built section was added thereafter.
Existing trails along the route
[edit]Clockwise from the Pentagon the triangular 9/11 Trail incorporates many sections of existing trais, as well as overlapping segments of the East Coast Greenway.
- Pentagon Memorial (VA)
- Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park (DC,MD)
- Great Allegheny Passage (MD, PA)
- September 11th National Memorial Trail (first purpose-built section - 1.5 miles)[5][6]
- Flight 93 National Memorial (PA)
- Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site
- Johnstown Flood National Memorial
- Lehigh Gorge Trail (PA)
- Sussex Branch Trail (NJ)[7]
- Paulinskill Valley Trail (NJ)[8]
- Patriots' Path (NJ)
- Lenape Trail (NJ)
- Essex - Hudson Greenway (NJ) (future)[9]
- Hudson River Waterfront Walkway (NJ)
- Empty Sky, the official New Jersey 9/11 memorial
- Hudson River Greenway (NY)
- National September 11 Memorial & Museum (NY)
- East Coast Greenway (NJ)
- Rahway River Parkway (NJ)
- Middlesex Greenway (NJ)
- D&R Canal Trail (NJ)
- Delaware Canal State Park Trail (PA)
- Garden of Reflection, the official Pennsylvania 9/11 memorial[10]
- Delaware and Lehigh Trail (PA)
- US 202 Parkway Trail (PA)
- Schuylkill River Trail (PA)[11]
- Northern Delaware Greenway (DE)
- Jack A. Markell Trail (DE)
- Battery Park Trail (DE)
- James F. Hall Trail (DE)
- Torey C. Brown Rail Trail (MD)
- Jones Falls Trail (MD)
- Gwynns Falls Trail (MD)
- Middle Branch Trail (MD)
- BWI Trail
- Overstreet Connector Trail (MD)
- Baltimore and Annapolis Trail (MD)
- Spa Creek Trail (MD)
- Poplar Trail (MD)
- South Shore Trail (MD)
- Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Trail (MD)
- Anacostia Riverwalk Trail (DC)
- National Mall (DC)
See also
[edit]- List of long-distance trails in the United States
- Memorials and services for the September 11 attacks
- National Trails System
- List of BicyclePA bicycle routes
References
[edit]- ^ "September 11th National Memorial Trail - American Trails". www.americantrails.org.
- ^ "H.R.2278 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): To designate the September 11th National Memorial Trail Route, and for other purposes. | Congress.gov | Library of Congress".
- ^ "DMV". 9/11 TRAIL.
- ^ "National 9/11 Memorial Trail". Allegany County, The Mountain Side of Maryland.
- ^ "Expansion in Somerset County, PA". 9/11 TRAIL.
- ^ Thomas, Mary Ann (May 1, 2021). "Ribbon cut on new 1.5-mile section of 9/11 National Memorial Trail in Somerset". TribLIVE.com.
- ^ Vitale, Vincent (January 4, 2022). "Take a Walk on The September 11th National Memorial Trail In Randolph". TAPinto.
- ^ "Connecting and Commemorating: The 9/11 Trail". The Nature Conservancy.
- ^ Zeitlinger, Ron (September 15, 2022). "Essex-Hudson Greenway advocates laud NJ purchase of abandoned rail line to create 9-mile park". The Jersey Journal.
- ^ "A TRIBUTE TO FALLEN HEROES: September 11th National Memorial Trail in Pennsylvania designated as a Statewide Major Greenway". March 15, 2022.
- ^ "Stretch of 9/11 National Memorial Trail passes through Montgomery County". November 28, 2021.