Hiking the Great American Rail-Trail
The Great American Rail-Trail is one of the most ambitious trail projects in American history — a coast-to-coast route following converted rail corridors, greenways, and multiuse paths through 13 states. Spearheaded by the Rails to Trails Conservancy, it connects iconic trails like the C&O Canal Towpath, the Great Allegheny Passage, and the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail into a single transcontinental journey.
The trail is currently about 56% complete, with roughly 2,100 miles of existing trail connected by approximately 1,670 miles of gaps still under development.
Building those final sections will take years — possibly decades.
We decided not to wait.
What Hiking America Provides
Hiking America has built complete GPS navigation for the entire Great American route — including every gap between existing trail sections. Using existing hiking trails, forest paths, and carefully researched corridors, we've connected the entire route into one continuous, navigable journey.
Here's what's available right now:
Complete GPS Tracks — Full route files covering every mile, including all gap sections. Compatible with Gaia GPS, Google Earth, Garmin, and most major GPS platforms. These are yours free — no subscription required.
Service Waypoints on Gaia GPS — Resupply points, camping areas, water sources, and hiker notes organized in Gaia GPS. This layer is included in your Hiking America subscription at no additional charge.
Gap Route Navigation — The 80+ sections between existing trails are where hikers need the most support. Our GPS tracks provide verified routing through every gap, so you're never left guessing where the trail picks back up.
What's still in development: Turn-by-turn directions and comprehensive waypoint verification are underway. As Bernie Krausse field-verifies the route during his 2026 thru-hike (more on that below), we're expanding our data with every mile he walks — water sources, camping conditions, trail notes, and route adjustments in real time.
Bernie Krausse: Verifying the Route with Boots on the Ground
Bernie Krausse is one of America's most accomplished long-distance hikers — a Double Triple-Crowner and ADT thru-hiker (Class of 2022) with more than 57,000 career miles. In 2026, he's becoming the first known person to thru-hike the entire Great American Rail-Trail.
Hiking America has been working directly with Bernie to map and verify the route. His journey serves as real-time field verification of our GPS data — the same process that made our American Discovery Trail navigation the most trusted resource available.
As Bernie walks, we're updating waypoints, documenting conditions, and building out the comprehensive services layer that serious hikers need to plan their own journey.
Follow Bernie's progress and trail dispatches right here on HikingAmerica.com.
A Hiker's Trail
You've probably seen the Great American marketed as a multi-modal trail, and most of the photos feature cyclists. That's part of the story — but it's not the whole story.
Hiking America is focused on what this trail means for hikers specifically. The planning needs are different. The pace is different. The water carries, the camping considerations, the resupply strategy — all of it changes when you're on foot.
That's what we're building: the hiker's guide to the Great American Rail-Trail.
Already a Hiking America Subscriber?
The Great American services layer is included in your existing subscription — no additional charge. As we build out the data during Bernie's verification hike, it'll automatically appear in your Gaia GPS alongside your American Discovery Trail waypoints.
New to Hiking America?
A Hiking America subscription gives you access to our complete navigation data for both the American Discovery Trail and the Great American Rail-Trail — GPS tracks, service waypoints, turn-by-turn guides, and real-time trail updates. All for one subscription.
$7/month or $70/year — cancel anytime.
Or start with the free Great American GPS tracks and see what Hiking America is all about.
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