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Journey to Remember
September 11 National Memorial Trail brings cyclists, hikers to memorials.
By Kimberly Burger Capozzi
Photos courtesy 9/11 National Memorial Trail Alliance
Visitors from around the country and the world visit memorials to the attacks that took place Sept. 11, 2001.
At the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York City, the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Washington, D.C., and the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, people come to mourn the dead, honor the heroes, and share in remembrance of a horrific day that continues to affect survivors as well as the nation at large.
Sometimes a journey can be as meaningful as the destination. That is the hope behind the September 11 (9/11) National Memorial Trail, a network of more than 1,300 miles of multi-use trails and road-based routes linking all three memorials. Via the trail, it’s possible to trek to the memorials by bicycle or on foot; some adventurous folks have even visited all three during one tour, an adventure that can take weeks to complete.
Everyone on that ride who beeped at us was because of that American flag. You don’t experience that if you visit the memorial in a car. If you have the ability to experience it on a bike, it’s a life-altering event.
– BRUCE WHITE
A group of about 25 cyclists covered the entire route in June 2022 on a tour led by the 9/11 National Memorial Trail Alliance, the organization that developed the trail and advocated for its designation as a national memorial. Another full-loop, 3.5-week tour is planned for June 2024. The alliance also hosts rides along shorter route segments, including a regular ride to the Flight 93 site.
“When we do the tour, it’s more than just pedal and sleep. It’s the camaraderie that develops around the reason we do it. It keeps people remembering the event and remembering the heroes,” says Bruce White, an advisory board member and tour leader. Arriving at a 9/11 site on a bike is unique from traveling by car, he says.
“To me, it’s the only way to do it. You are taking it at your speed. You are absorbing more, you are feeling more,” White says. “You have time to yourself to reflect. I have spent hours trying to trade places with some of the people, the heroes. Because we hear their stories. And you have your friends to talk to and share.”
Development of a national trail connecting the sites was conceived about a week after the attacks, when David Brickley, then director of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, introduced the idea at a trailway conference. Over the years, local trail groups, communities, and lawmakers backed the project, working to identify routes, build connections, and make infrastructure improvements where necessary. In October 2021, shortly after the 20th anniversary, designation of the route as a national memorial trail became law.
About half of the route is off-road, making use of existing trails such as the Great Allegheny Passage in Pennsylvania, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal path in Maryland and Virginia, portions of the East Coast Greenway to the east, and other recreational courses in Washington, D.C., Delaware, New Jersey, and New York. The remainder of the route is on roadways that take users across countryside and past towns large and small.
“Great care and community input went into identifying areas where there wasn’t an off-road trail to utilize the best roads for cyclists to use the entire route,” says Jeffrey McCauley, president of the alliance. “The vision would be to continue to work with partners and stakeholders to complete as much of the trail and have as much of it as possible to be non-motorized, segregated multi-use trail. But there are certain sections that may never be off-road given the topography and land use.”
The result is a trail that brings users through areas of the country with their own histories of hardship and perseverance, says McCauley. Examples include the Johnstown Flood of 1889 and the role of small towns in the nation’s industrial development—as many were once serviced by trains on the trail-converted railbeds. A loop of about 200 miles was added to incorporate Gettysburg National Military Park and major Civil War battlefield.
The alliance’s organized tours point out local highlights and may feature mayors who share local history at stops along the route. Some towns also have their own memorials to the events of 9/11, and the tours stop at those as well, White says.
Local communities and, in some cases, land donations have been important in weaving together the route. To connect to the Flight 93 memorial, the alliance has worked with Somerset County on a branch from the Great Allegheny Passage in Garrett. An off-road path is being built on an old railroad bed donated by the CSX railroad company. Editor’s note: For more information about this segment of the trail, go to “If You Go – Day Trip to Flight 93 Memorial," below.
It’s the national memorials that are the highlight of the trail. In addition to touring the sites, the alliance again organizes opportunities to learn—about the design of the memorial, the personal stories of the people who died that day, as well as the first responders who survived and continue to live with injury and illness. Since 2019, the alliance has led a “Tour de Trail” event each year of about 100 cyclists on a trip to the Flight 93 memorial. In 2023, a walking tour of the trail around the Pentagon memorial included a wreath-laying ceremony. The alliance hopes to soon bring special events to the New York memorial, McCauley says.
Tour participants have come from across the country and overseas, including people personally affected by the attacks as well as cycling enthusiasts who come for the ride, McCauley says. Funds raised benefit the trail, but mostly the rides are for increasing awareness and commitment to never forgetting.
“It happened 20 years ago, but it still lives with many people today,” McCauley says. “I think it leaves a lasting impression to hear survivors and people who were personally impacted.”
Due to the length of the trail, there are countless ways to experience it, and the alliance welcomes cyclists and hikers to tackle it on their own. Route maps, connecting points, links to details on visiting the memorials, and other resources are available on the website at www.911trail.org. Several hikers have walked the trail through Warrior Expeditions (www.warriorexpeditions.org), which supports veterans adjusting to life after combat.
With organized tours, the alliance provides support to cyclists, including rest stops and repair stations, and arranges food and accommodations. The longer rides require the fitness and experience to be able to ride for several hours a day for multiple days—although riders can choose to be part of a ride for just a segment of the trip. For safety, cyclists ride in small groups. White recommends a bike with a tire width of at least 28mm for the off-road trails that may be paved with crushed stone.
An avid cyclist, White says he is used to drivers honking their horns in annoyance to be sharing the road with bicycles. But on the 15-day tour across Pennsylvania, one of his fellow alliance volunteers rode with an American flag on the back of his bike. Police escorts accompanied them at different points. Another cycling group accompanied them entering Philadelphia.
“Everyone on that ride who beeped at us was because of that American flag,” White says. “You don’t experience that if you visit the memorial in a car. If you have the ability to experience it on a bike, it’s a life-altering event.”
If You Go–Day Trip to Flight 93 Memorial
The Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville can be reached by bicycle when following the 9/11 National Memorial Trail. The route is on-road and marked with signs starting in the town of Garrett, where it connects with the Great Allegheny Passage.
From Garrett, the ride is about 21 miles, says Bruce White, an advisory board member to the 9/11 National Memorial Trail Alliance. A shorter trip of about 12.5 miles one way starts in Berlin. Maps can be accessed at www.911trail.org.
This section of the trail can be traversed on most types of touring bicycles—including road bikes, hybrid bikes, and electronic bikes (ebikes), White says.
Bike racks are available at the memorial—remember to bring your own lock.
Restaurants and shops can be found along the memorial trail, but for a short trip from Berlin, White recommends packing a snack and two water bottles.
To learn more about visiting the memorial, visit the National Park Service website at www.nps.gov/flni/index.htm.
