Library of Trails Benefits

The George S. Mickelson Trail (GSMT) is a multipurpose recreational trail that spans 114 miles across South Dakota beginning in the Black Hills. Researchers compiled survey data from 2,388 trail users who resided outside of the Black Hills Region. They analyzed the perceptions and use patterns of tourism activity on the GSMT and found that respondents were primarily attracted to the trail by the scenery and mountain biking opportunities. Their marketing recommendations include increasing promotion strategies such as providing more shuttle services, creating an online system to buy daily and annual passes, and administering more information about the trail through online advertising and brochures.

This study found that snowmobilers from outside Valley County, Idaho are an important source of revenue during the winter months, spending an average of three days per trip and $106 per day. This revenue stream is highly susceptible to weather, with visits dropping 40 percent in a low snow year.

This study found that the Pine Creek Rail Trail is a popular destination trail for cyclists in Pennsylvania, most of whom stay overnight. Although the estimates of use and economic impact are imperfect, they do show that the trail is responsible for bringing many people to the area who otherwise would not have come.

This study found that those commuting by bicycle are willing to go out of their way to use a safer route, with the largest detour for on-street, designated bicycle lanes, followed by routes without parking and routes with an off-street bicycle lane. The effect of these bicycle facilities on property values is mixed, depending on the type of facility and whether it is in an urban or suburban neighborhood.

This study found that homes within 50 meters of bike paths in New Castle County, Delaware sold, on average, for 4 percent more than similar homes without bike paths. These results are consistent with other studies that have demonstrated a higher value for homes adjacent to trails.