Trail

A trail is usually a path, track or unpaved lane or road, though the term is also applied, in North America, to routes along rivers, and sometimes to highways. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland path or footpath is the preferred term for a walking trail. Some trails are single use and can only be used for walking, cycling, horse riding, snow shoeing, cross-country skiing, etc., others, as in the case of a bridleway in the UK, are multi-use, and can be used by walkers, cyclists and equestrians.

There are also unpaved trails used by dirt bikes and other off road vehicles. In some places, like the Alps, trails are used for moving cattle and other livestock (see transhumance). In the US historically, the term was used for a route into or through wild territory used by emigrants (e.g. the Oregon Trail).

Usage

In Australia, the term track can be used interchangeably with trail, and can refer to anything from a dirt road to an unpaved pedestrian path. The term trail gained popularity during World War II, when many servicemen from the United States were stationed in Australia, which probably influenced its being adopted by elements of the Australian media at the time (see Kokoda Track).

Oak Leaf Trail

The Oak Leaf Trail (formerly 76 Bike Trail) is a paved 108-mile (174 km) multi-use recreational trail which encircles Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Clearly marked trail segments connect all of the major parks in the Milwaukee County Park System with a "ribbon of green."

Description

Early bicycling advocate Harold "Zip" Morgan first conceived and laid out a 64-mile (103 km) trail in 1939. The route made its way around the edge of the county and through natural resource corridors found along the rivers and lakefront. Three decades later the trail was officially established by the Milwaukee County Park Commission, and in 1966 construction of the parkland trails began. It became known as the 76 Bike Trail for the 76 miles (122 km) it spanned.

The present system of inter-connecting trails consists of 48 miles (77 km) of asphalt paths and 31 miles (50 km) of parkway, along with 27 miles (43 km) of municipal streets that have designated bicycle lanes and sidewalks. An outer loop of 64.5 miles (103.8 km) joins together the 5.4-mile (8.7 km) Lake Loop, 1.6-mile (2.6 km) Lincoln Creek Spur, 2.6-mile (4.2 km) Whitnall Loop and 13.7-mile (22.0 km) East-West Connector. The 2.1-mile (3.4 km) Root River Trail Extension was added in 2006. Another 31 miles (50 km) are currently in the planning stages, including trail linkages with the newer Hank Aaron State Trail in the Menomonee Valley and Lakeshore State Park. A new trail segment under Bluemound Road along Underwood Creek was completed in 2011 in the City of Wauwatosa.