Tanglefoot Trail inducted into Rail to Trail Hall of Fame

PONTOTOC, Miss. (WCBI) – Mississippi’s longest ‘rail-trail’ received a huge honor for its cultural and economic impact.

The Washington DC-based group known as “Rails to Trails” Conservancy asked the public to vote on this year’s inductee for the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame.

The Tanglefoot Trail won by a landslide.

“Tanglefoot ended up winning more than fifty percent of votes,” said Amy Kapp, who is with Rails to Trails Conservancy.

She made the trip to Pontotoc for the ceremony and said getting the hall of fame designation puts the Tanglefoot Trail in a unique class.

“It kind of says the entire community or communities, who came together, made trail accessible, amazing for people, to be a hall of fame trail says you are the Gold Standard for trails in America,” said Kapp.

The Tanglefoot Trail opened six years ago, and is built along a 44 mile abandoned railroad corridor, from New Albany to Houston.

The trail is used by bikers, walkers, joggers and nature lovers. While it helps promote healthy lifestyles, the trail also boosts local economies.

“It gives us a platform to showcase our town, merchants, restaurants, and we’re excited to have the trail here, opened a new system connected to our downtown,’ said Pontotoc Mayor Bob Peeples.

The Algoma Store is a great example of a local business that has felt a positive impact from the Tanglefoot Trail.

The trail has brought in customers from all 50 states and six foreign countries.

“If it wasn’t for this trail, a lot of people wouldn’t know where Algoma or Pontotoc, or New Albany, or Houston was, if it wasn’t for this trail. The trail brings me a good bit of business. I told somebody awhile back, if there is 100,000 people come down this trail a day and I didn’t get but one of them, that’s one customer I wouldn’t have had if it hadn’t been for this trail,” said Greg Vaughn, owner of The Algoma Store.

More than a dozen new businesses have started along the trail since it opened in 2013.

The Tanglefoot Trail joined 32 previous Hall of Fame winners in the Rails to Trails Conservancy.