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43-785: The John Muir Way is a 215-kilometre (130 mi) continuous long-distance route in southern Scotland , running from Helensburgh , Argyll and Bute in the west to Dunbar , East Lothian in the east. It is named in honour of the Scottish conservationist John Muir , who was born in Dunbar in 1838 and became a founder of the United States National Park Service . The route provides a coast-to-coast route across Scotland, linking Muir's birthplace with Scotland's first national park , Loch Lomond and The Trossachs , and Helensburgh , from where he left Scotland for

86-496: A footpath and/or bikeway within a linear park . In urban design , they are a component of planning for bicycle commuting and walkability . The British organisation Sustrans , which is involved in creating cycleways and greenways, states that a traffic-free route "must be designed on the assumption that everyone will use it", and measures taken "to assist visually and mobility impaired users". The American author Charles Little in his 1990 book, Greenways for America, defines

129-561: A greenway as: A linear open space established along either a natural corridor, such as a riverfront, stream valley or ridgeline, or overland along a railroad right-of-way converted to recreational use, a canal , scenic road or other route. It is a natural or landscaped course for pedestrian or bicycle passage; an open-space connector linking parks, nature reserves, cultural features, or historic sites with each other and with populated areas; locally certain strip or linear parks designated as parkway or greenbelt . The term greenway comes from

172-426: A greenway that provides a public right-of-way along the edge of the sea , open to both walkers and cyclists. Foreshoreways resemble promenades and boardwalks . Foreshoreways are usually concerned with the idea of sustainable transport . A foreshoreway is accessible to both pedestrians and cyclists and gives them the opportunity to move unimpeded along the seashore. Dead end paths that offer public access only to

215-919: A large number of trekkers ( backpackers ). Typical trekking regions in Nepal are Annapurna , Dolpo , Langtang , Manaslu , Kangchenjunga and Mount Everest . In India, the Kashmir Valley is home to several trekking routes that traverse western sections of the Himalayas. Vishansar Lake , Gangabal Lake and Tarsar Lakes are accessible only through different trekking routes. Other popular trekking routes in India include Chandra Taal , Dzongri, Goechala, Gomukh , Hemkund , Kafni Glacier , Kailash - Manasarovar , Kedarnath , Kedartal , Milam Glacier , Nanda Devi Sanctuary , Pindari Glacier , Richenpong , Roopkund , Sar Pass , Satopanth Tal , Saurkundi Pass and

258-666: A purple-brown logo. Taking the trail from west to east, the John Muir Way starts in Helensburgh. The trail follows over the hills, providing views of Loch Lomond and the Trossach mountains , before descending into Balloch , with its National Park centre . This is one of the wilder sections of the route with the most rugged terrain: windswept, high moorland with little shelter. From here the route winds its way towards Strathblane and Scotland's most famous long distance walk,

301-480: Is a longer recreational trail mainly through rural areas used for hiking , backpacking , cycling , horse riding or cross-country skiing . They exist on all continents except Antarctica. Many trails are marked on maps. Typically, a long-distance route will be at least 50 km (30 mi) long, but many run for several hundred miles, or longer. Many routes are waymarked and may cross public or private land and/or follow existing rights of way . Generally,

344-543: Is applicable to other rail trails that exist throughout the world: Following the route of the railways, they cut through hills, under roads, over embankments and across gullies and creeks. Apart from being great places to walk, cycle or horse ride, rail trails are linear conservation corridors protecting native plants and animals. They often link remnant vegetation in farming areas and contain valuable flora and fauna habitat. Wineries and other attractions are near many trails as well as B&B's and other great places to stay. In

387-608: Is expected to open by the end of 2024 as the longest coastal walking route in the world and Britain's longest National Trail . These may be cross-country paths, or may follow roads or other ways, and often intersect with many other trails. Examples are Wainwright's Coast-to-Coast path in northern England, and the GR 10 in France . The English Coast to Coast route, despite being amongst the best-known long-distance walking routes in England,

430-537: Is not an official National Trail , but simply a series of connected pre-existing rights of way, roads and open country with some informal links between them. There is also a coast-to-coast mountain-bike route in northern England that has the same trailheads as the walkers' path. GR 10 is a French GR footpath that runs the length of the Pyrenees Mountains , roughly paralleling the French–Spanish border on

473-531: Is often referred to as the wet-sand area (see Right of way (transit)#Foreshore for a fuller discussion). A linear park is a park in an urban or suburban setting that is substantially longer than it is wide. Some are rail trails ("rails to trails"), that are disused railroad beds converted to recreational use, while others use strips of public land next to canals , streams , extended defensive walls , electrical lines , highways and shorelines . They are also often described as greenways. In Australia,

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516-734: Is published in April in the association's magazine, Strider. The Kerry Way , in south-west Ireland, is the longest of the Irish waymarked trails and circumnavigates the highest mountain range in Ireland. Along with the adjoining Dingle Way it is noted for its scenic views of the Atlantic , loughs and mountains. Long-distance trails in Hong Kong : Japan has a network of ten long-distance trails called Long Distance Nature Trails. Their creation

559-455: Is the longest marked multi-use trail in the world, stretching 5,330 kilometres (3,310 mi) from Cooktown, Queensland , through New South Wales to Healesville, Victoria . This non-motorised trail runs the length of the rugged Great Dividing Range through national parks and private property and alongside wilderness areas . One of the objectives was to develop a trail that linked up the brumby tracks, mustering and stock routes along

602-604: Is the result of a Ministry of Environment initiative to highlight the specific environmental, cultural or historic landscapes through which the trails pass. They also aim to allow hikers a safe and easy hike in any season, as well as raising awareness of the importance of protecting natural spaces and adopting sustainable behaviors. Long Distance Nature Trails in Japan : In Brazil, long-distance trails are regulated by two Federal Government decrees, and implemented and managed by government agencies in partnership with many NGOs, such as

645-466: Is vegetated but inappropriate for public use, such as agricultural land. Where the historic rural road network has been enlarged and redesigned to favor high-speed automobile travel, greenways provide an alternative for people who are elderly, young, less mobile or seeking a reflective pace. Tom Turner analyzed greenways in London looking for common patterns among successful examples. He was inspired by

688-762: The EuroVelo routes. Some trails follow the towpaths of canal systems. A good example is the 845-kilometre (525 mi) New York State Canal System in New York . There also numerous routes that can be followed in Europe, which may be suitable for walkers, cyclists, horse riders and canoeists. Many long-distance trails have sections suitable for equestrians, and a few are suitable for horse riding throughout their length, or have been developed primarily for horse riding. The Bicentennial National Trail (BNT) in Australia

731-689: The Gold Coast Seaway . The network includes 36 kilometres (22 mi) of poor, medium and high quality pathways. Others include: The Chicago Lakefront Trail , the Dubai Marina , the East River Greenway , New Plymouth Coastal Walkway , and the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway . Public rights of way frequently exist on the foreshore of beaches throughout the world. In legal discussions the foreshore

774-730: The Iron Curtain Trail (also known as EuroVelo 13). The latter is a partially complete long-distance cycling route which will run along the entire length of the former Iron Curtain . During the period of the Cold War (c. 1947–1991), the Iron Curtain delineated the border between the Communist East and the capitalist West. Some of the longest walking routes worldwide: Long-distance mountain trails are of two broad kinds: linear trails and loop trails. In Europe

817-668: The Pennine Bridleway , 192 km (119 miles), The Ridgeway , 139 km (86 miles), and the South Downs Way , 160 km (99 miles). Rail trails (or rail paths) are shared-use paths that make use of abandoned railway corridors. There are also rails with trails in the US that follow working rail tracks. Most rail trails have a gravel or dirt surface and can be used for walking, cycling, and often horse riding as well. The following description comes from Australia , but

860-521: The Scottish Borders has been renamed as the 'John Muir Link'. In 2017 the route was designated as one of Scotland's Great Trails by NatureScot . The Independent declared the original John Muir Way its Walk of the Month for February 2014. Between 240,000 and 300,000 people use the path every year, of whom about 5,500 walk the entire route. The John Muir Way is signposted throughout using

903-875: The South West Coast Path . The equivalent routes in Scotland are styled as Scotland's Great Trails ; they include the West Highland Way and the Speyside Way . The success of the Welsh government's 870-mile Wales Coast Path prompted an ongoing project of create a similar route for England. When completed, the King Charles III England Coast Path will be around 2,700 miles long. There are many other recognised, sometimes waymarked, long-distance footpaths in

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946-635: The Valley of Flowers . The Great Himalaya Trail is proposed to follow the Greater Himalaya Range from Namche Barwa in Tibet to Nanga Parbat in Pakistan, forming the world's highest mountain trail. A long-distance trail network in the southern Andes, the 3,000-kilometre (1,900 mi) Greater Patagonian Trail , was first described in 2014. It currently connects Santiago de Chile with

989-667: The Via Alpina consists of five connected hiking trails across the alpine regions of Slovenia , Austria , Germany , Liechtenstein , Switzerland , Italy , France and Monaco . It is 5,000 km (3,100 miles) long, with 342 day stages. Circular routes include the Tour du Mont Blanc , which passes through the Alps of France, Switzerland, and Italy. In the Balkans region, the Peaks of

1032-605: The West Highland Way which it crosses near Dumgoyne hill and Glengoyne Distillery . At Kirkintilloch , the trail picks up the Forth and Clyde Canal and heads through Strathkelvin to Falkirk and its wheel which provides a link between waterways for travelling craft. Roman forts and the Antonine Wall are the next attractions en route to the ancient town of Linlithgow and its impressive palace of Mary, Queen of Scots . It leaves Linlithgow with its low lying loch for

1075-454: The green in green belt and the way in parkway , implying a recreational or pedestrian use rather than a typical street corridor, as well as an emphasis on introducing or maintaining vegetation, in a location where such vegetation is otherwise lacking. Some greenways include community gardens as well as typical park-style landscaping of trees and shrubs. They also tend to have a mostly contiguous pathway. Greenways resemble linear parks , but

1118-399: The pattern language technique of architect Christopher Alexander . A pattern language is an organized and coherent set of "patterns", each of which describes a problem and the core of a solution that can be used in many ways within a specific field of expertise. Turner concluded there are seven types, or 'patterns', of greenway which he named: In Australia, a foreshoreway (or oceanway) is

1161-1014: The 27 Brazilian states , connecting all Brazilian biomes. As of January 2022, Brazil has more than 5,500 km of managed trails and another 20,500 km planned. Long-distance trails in Brazil: These follow coastlines; examples are the Brittany Coast Path in France, the California Coastal Trail in the US, the South West Coast Path in England, the East Coast Trail in Canada, and the Otter Trail in South Africa. The King Charles III England Coast Path , in development by Natural England , will be around 4,350 kilometres (2,700 mi) long. It

1204-538: The Atlantic Ocean and the western terminus is Point Reyes , on the northern California coast at the Pacific Ocean. The Iditarod Trail connects the coastal cities of Seward and Nome, Alaska : a distance of around 1,600 kilometres (990 mi). The European long-distance paths (E-paths) traverse Europe, passing through many different countries. Among the longest are European walking route E8 and

1247-810: The Balkans Trail and High Scardus Trail connect Albania , Kosovo and Montenegro or North Macedonia respectively through a network of combined almost 700 kilometres (430 mi). In the United States, notable linear trails include the Appalachian Trail , 3,500 kilometres (2,200 mi), the Pacific Crest Trail , 4,300 kilometres (2,700 mi) and the Continental Divide Trail , 5,000 kilometres (3,100 mi). The first long-distance hiking trail in

1290-664: The Brazilian Trails Network Association ( Associação Rede Brasileira de Trilhas in Portuguese) and the Atlantic Forest Trail Institute. The aim is to create a national system of trails that are pleasant to hike, but that also generate employment and income and function as conservation tools by linking protected areas with natural corridors. There are more than 120 trails in different stages of implementation in 25 of

1333-662: The French side. It runs west to east, from Hendaye on the Bay of Biscay to Banyuls-sur-Mer on the Mediterranean Sea . The American Discovery Trail is a hiking and biking trail that crosses the continental United States from east to west, across the mid-tier of the United States 10,900 kilometres (6,800 mi). Horses can also be ridden on most of this trail. The eastern terminus is the Delmarva Peninsula on

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1376-804: The Great Dividing Range, thus allowing one legally to ride the routes of stockmen and drovers who once traveled these areas with pack horses . The Bicentennial National Trail is suitable for self-reliant horse riders, fit walkers and mountain bike riders. In the United Kingdom, the British Horse Society is developing a network of horse trails known as the National Bridleroute Network . A number of long-distance multi-use trails have been created in England, including three National Trails :

1419-580: The Netherlands, Spain and Portugal (the Alta Via (Italian), Grande Randonnée (French), Grote Routepaden or Lange-afstand-wandelpaden (Dutch), Grande Rota (Portuguese) or Gran Recorrido (Spanish)). National Trails are a network of officially sanctioned footpaths in the United Kingdom which are well maintained and well waymarked across England and Wales. Examples are the Pennine Way and

1462-805: The Southern Patagonian Icefield and explores the remote areas of the Patagonian Andes in the border region between Chile and Argentina. The entire network currently incorporates more than 16,000-kilometre (9,900 mi) of routes and provides many packrafting options. These routes have been constructed mainly for bicycle touring . Some are restricted to use by only non-motorized bikes while others are multi-use recreational (i.e. hiking, horseback riding, jogging, rollerblading or walking). Some long-distance cycling routes are hundreds of miles long, such as Australia's mainly off-road Munda Biddi Trail , or even thousands of miles, such as

1505-637: The UK which do not have National Trail status. The Long Distance Walkers Association (LDWA) has the most comprehensive online database of long-distance paths in the UK, and members are able to download GPX files of routes. The association also maintains the LDWA National Trails Register, with different levels of membership for people who have completed five, 10, 15 or all 19 of the National Trails and Great Trails. An annual report

1548-720: The US was begun in 1910 and named The Long Trail . Notable circular trails include the Tahoe Rim Trail and the Wonderland Trail (which encircles Mount Rainier ). The Australian Alps Walking Track traverses the alpine areas of Victoria , New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory . It is 655 km (407 miles) long, starting at Walhalla, Victoria , and running through to Tharwa, Australian Capital Territory near Canberra . The Himalayan routes are famous for attracting

1591-542: The US, the 43-kilometre (27 mi) Cheshire Rail Trail , in New Hampshire , can be used by hikers, horseback riders, snowmobilers, cross-country skiers, cyclists, or even dog-sledders. In Canada , following the abandonment of the Prince Edward Island Railway in 1989, the government of Prince Edward Island purchased the right-of-way to the entire railway system. The Confederation Trail

1634-470: The United States. It is suitable for walkers and cyclists although some sections are on rougher terrain and may not be suitable for road bicycles . The John Muir Way opened on 21 April 2014. Previously a shorter 'John Muir Way' existed only in East Lothian , but the majority of this older route has now been absorbed into the much longer new route. A shorter section of the older route from Dunbar to

1677-1082: The latter are only found in urban and suburban environments. The European Greenways Association defines it as Communication routes reserved exclusively for non-motorized journeys, developed in an integrated manner which enhances both the environment and quality of life of the surrounding area. These routes should meet satisfactory standards of width, gradient and surface condition to ensure that they are both user-friendly and low-risk for users of all abilities. Though wildlife corridors are also greenways, because they have conservation as their primary purpose, they are not necessarily managed as parks for recreational use, and may not include facilities such as public trails. Charles Little in his 1990 book, Greenways for America", describes five general types of greenways: Greenways are found in rural areas as well as urban. Corridors redeveloped as greenways often travel through both city and country, connecting them together. Even in rural areas, greenways provide residents access to open land managed as parks, as contrasted with land that

1720-652: The ocean are not part of a foreshoreway. A foreshoreway corridor often includes a number of traffic routes that provide access along an oceanfront, including: A major example is The Gold Coast Oceanway along beaches in Gold Coast, Queensland , a shared use pedestrian and cyclist pathway on the Gold Coast, connecting the Point Danger lighthouse on the New South Wales and Queensland border to

1763-728: The seashore and the harbour town of Bo'ness , coasting along to Blackness Castle and the bridge town of South Queensferry . The trail follows the greener places in the capital city, Edinburgh , before guiding travellers east, past famous, coastal birding and golf spots via Aberlady and North Berwick . The trail ends in Dunbar , where Muir was born and there is a museum dedicated to him. Download coordinates as: 56°02′53″N 2°43′09″W  /  56.0481°N 2.7191°W  / 56.0481; -2.7191  ( John Muir Way ) Long-distance trail A long-distance trail (or long-distance footpath , track, way, greenway )

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1806-644: The surface is not specially prepared, and the ground can be rough and uneven in areas, except in places such as converted rail tracks or popular walking routes where stone-pitching and slabs have been laid to prevent erosion. In some places, official trails will have the surface specially prepared to make the going easier. Historically, and still nowadays in countries where most people move on foot or with pack animals, long-distance trails linked far away towns and regions. Such paths followed "logical" routes, that can be approximated to least-cost paths . GR footpaths are long-distance footpaths in Italy, France, Belgium,

1849-450: Was developed as a tip-to-tip walking and cycling gravel rail trail which doubles as a monitored and groomed snowmobile trail during the winter months, operated by the PEI Snowmobile Association. Greenway (landscape) In Southern England , the term also refers to ancient trackways or green lanes , especially those found on chalk downlands , like the Ridgeway . Greenways are vegetated, linear, and multi-purpose. They incorporate

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