Rail-trails provide for a variety of activities all year such as walking, hiking, bicycling, running, horseback riding, in-line skating, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing.

Various amenities are provided along the trails for the convenience of the public. Typical amenities are picnic tables, benches, drinking water, information boards, parking areas, and porta potties.

Trails that are designed to make popular connections within a community or between communities offer a viable option for residents to choose walking or bicycling rather than automobile travel, especially for shorter, daily trips.

In this way, residents benefit from a daily exercise routine, local highway infrastructure becomes less congested, and air quality is improved.

Rail-trails support the needs of the community by providing natural surroundings for regular exercise. People of all ages can enjoy healthy outdoor activities that are safe and accessible to everyone.

Rail-trails typically provide minimal grades that encourage the very young, the elderly, the physically challenged, and the novice exerciser to participate in a variety of activities that promote mental and physical wellness. Avid outdoor enthusiasts seek trails that provide endless miles of uninterrupted solitude for long-distance running, bicycling, and horseback riding.

Rail-trails help safeguard the environment and improve the quality of air and water. Trails are essential for the protection of plants and wildlife.

Trails also play a vital role in preserving and providing access to many historical landmarks such as bridges, canals, historic buildings, battlefields, and rail depots.

Trails are virtual laboratories for learning about our natural environment, cultural places, and historic past.

Traveling along a trail offers opportunities to view woodlands, farmland, wetlands, and waterways. Trails invite visitors to experience the culture and history of an area. Rail-trails that follow former transportation routes, such as railroads and trolley lines, encourage communities to restore and creatively reuse historic structures.