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Combining Transportation Themes: Five Airports Near Major Rail Trails

Taking your bike in the airplane creates opportunities to explore.

Rail trails are an ideal way to travel long distances with minimal traffic. [Shutterstock]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Folding bicycles offer pilots a convenient "last mile" transportation solution for exploring destinations directly from airports, easily fitting into small aircraft.
  • This method is ideal for accessing and enjoying the country's extensive network of "rail trails"—former railroad rights-of-way perfect for long, flat cycling.
  • The article highlights several scenic rail trails across the U.S., such as the Washington & Old Dominion in Virginia and the Paul Bunyan State Trail in Minnesota, noting their features and nearby airports.
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It feels good to fly directly to a destination without having to rent or hire a car to travel the “last mile” to the specific attraction you want to visit. Sometimes you are lucky enough to find an airport that is right in town or just walking distance away. But when you need to go a little farther, a folding bicycle can be a better answer than a car.

Once considered odd and ungainly, these mechanical wonders have come into their own, providing speed, good handling, and light components that will not eat unreasonably into your useful load. Many fit handily into a small aircraft’s baggage compartment.

Jonathan Welsh

Jonathan Welsh is Lead Editor of Aviation Consumer and a private pilot who worked as a reporter, editor and columnist with the Wall Street Journal for 21 years, mostly covering the auto industry. His passion for aviation began in childhood with balsa-wood gliders his aunt would buy for him at the corner store. Follow Jonathan on Twitter @JonathanWelsh4

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