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. 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. 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. At its inception it incorporated 55% off-road trails and 45% existing roadways. A 1.5 mile purpose built section was added thereafter.
Existing trails along the route
 | This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (June 2023) |
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)
- Flight 93 National Memorial (PA)
- Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site
- Johnstown Flood National Memorial
- Lehigh Gorge Trail (PA)
- Sussex Branch Trail (NJ)
- Paulinskill Valley Trail (NJ)
- Patriots' Path (NJ)
- Lenape Trail (NJ)
- Essex - Hudson Greenway (NJ) (future)
- 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
- Delaware and Lehigh Trail (PA)
- US 202 Parkway Trail (PA)
- Schuylkill River Trail (PA)
- 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)
- 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
- "September 11th National Memorial Trail - American Trails". www.americantrails.org.
- "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".
- "DMV". 9/11 TRAIL.
- "National 9/11 Memorial Trail". Allegany County, The Mountain Side of Maryland.
- "Expansion in Somerset County, PA". 9/11 TRAIL.
- Thomas, Mary Ann (May 1, 2021). "Ribbon cut on new 1.5-mile section of 9/11 National Memorial Trail in Somerset". TribLIVE.com.
- Vitale, Vincent (January 4, 2022). "Take a Walk on The September 11th National Memorial Trail In Randolph". TAPinto.
- "Connecting and Commemorating: The 9/11 Trail". The Nature Conservancy.
- Zeitlinger, Ron (September 15, 2022). "Essex-Hudson Greenway advocates laud NJ purchase of abandoned rail line to create 9-mile park". The Jersey Journal.
- "A TRIBUTE TO FALLEN HEROES: September 11th National Memorial Trail in Pennsylvania designated as a Statewide Major Greenway". March 15, 2022.
- "Stretch of 9/11 National Memorial Trail passes through Montgomery County". November 28, 2021.