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

Trail shield

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)
    • 9/11 Memorial of Maryland
  • 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

• 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

1. "September 11th National Memorial Trail - American Trails". www.americantrails.org.
2. "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".
3. "DMV". 9/11 TRAIL.
4. "National 9/11 Memorial Trail". Allegany County, The Mountain Side of Maryland.
5. "Expansion in Somerset County, PA". 9/11 TRAIL.
6. Thomas, Mary Ann (May 1, 2021). "Ribbon cut on new 1.5-mile section of 9/11 National Memorial Trail in Somerset". TribLIVE.com.
7. Vitale, Vincent (January 4, 2022). "Take a Walk on The September 11th National Memorial Trail In Randolph". TAPinto.
8. "Connecting and Commemorating: The 9/11 Trail". The Nature Conservancy.
9. Zeitlinger, Ron (September 15, 2022). "Essex-Hudson Greenway advocates laud NJ purchase of abandoned rail line to create 9-mile park". The Jersey Journal.
10. "A TRIBUTE TO FALLEN HEROES: September 11th National Memorial Trail in Pennsylvania designated as a Statewide Major Greenway". March 15, 2022.
11. "Stretch of 9/11 National Memorial Trail passes through Montgomery County". November 28, 2021.

External links

• 911 Trail.org
• History