In honor of Celebrate Trails Day, hosted by the nation’s largest trail advocacy organization, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC), the City of Carmel and Bike Carmel play host to a virtual celebration of the city’s trails this Saturday, April 23.
Trail users are encouraged to take photos and selfies of themselves and their families enjoying their favorite trail, then post it in the comments section of Bike Carmel’s Celebrate Trails Day Facebook event. By posting a photo, you will be eligible to win one of four $50 gift cards from a local Carmel restaurant located along the Monon Greenway.
Celebrate Trails Day is an annual celebration of the nation’s trails and the benefits they bring to people’s health and well-being. Bike Carmel wants to see Carmel residents out enjoying the city’s trails, whether that be on the seat of a bike, on your own two feet, in a wheelchair or with man’s best friend. No matter how, the point is to get out in the community, get some exercise and enjoy the outdoors. Don’t forget that trails also make an excellent car-free corridor to run errands or get your kids to school.
Brainard
“With more than 220 miles of off-street paths and trails, you can get almost anywhere in Carmel without having to ride your bike or walk in the roadway,” Mayor Jim Brainard said. “Thanks to the large investments we have made in this alternative transportation network, it is now possible for all of our residents and visitors to join us and to participate in Celebrate Trails Day.”
Celebrate Trails Day takes on added significance this year as people navigate back to work, school and other activities in greater post-COVID numbers. There are many long-term benefits to continuing the practice of outdoor physical activity. The CDC recommends 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per day, five days per week, through activities such as a brisk walk or bike ride, yet the latest data shows that 25 percent of Americans are inactive. Trails are a valuable resource to address inactivity, providing safe, close-to-home spaces where people can safely walk, bike and be active.
RTC offers creative ideas for getting outside, a free trail-finder app TrailLink.com, and stories from RTC’s Trail Moments initiative and TrailBlog, which capture voices from around the country about how people are incorporating trail use into their lives.
Additionally, Bike Carmel has a bike map containing all the Trails and side paths that make up Carmel’s extensive bicycle network and has designed five Carmel Access Bikeways or “CAB Routes” that are signed and mapped in order to introduce people to different areas within Carmel.
For more information about Celebrate Trails Day, to find events, and to enter to win prizes, visit railstotrails.org/celebratetrails and follow #CelebrateTrails on social media.
To learn more about Bike Carmel’s Celebrate Trails Day event, please visit Bike Carmel’s Facebook page.