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Power lines along trails

Electric transmission along trails, railtrails, and greenways. Trails are often built in utility corridors of all kinds, from underground pipelines to electric power lines overhead. There may be hundreds of trails across the country that follow power line corridors. Over the years some articles have raised concerns about electro magnetic fields (EMF) emanating from power lines. However, research seems to find that trails along electric lines are safe. While it easy to take a photo showing huge structures towering over trails, when you are actually hiking or riding along the corridor the poles or towers are not so obtrusive. In urban areas these utility corridors are often essential connectors because they are wide swaths through built-up area. In rural areas the dirt maintenance roads have been made available to bicyclists, OHV riders, and snowmobilers through formal public use agreements. The photos show a variety of examples of trails along power lines.

For trail management issues see Safe management of power line trails

See the Trail Corridors & Land Acquisition index for more on utility corridor trails

Click on any photo to see it full size:

(Commentary and photos by Stuart Macdonald, posted July 2010)

On the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway south of Ocala, FL; photo by Stuart Macdonald, June 12, 2009

Trail shares corridor with power lines and irrigation canal in Phoenix, AZ; photo by Stuart Macdonald, June 3, 2008

Power lines along Highline Canal Trail south of Denver, CO; photo by Stuart Macdonald, April 15, 2008

Mowed grass trail through park in Bettendorf, Iowa; photo by Stuart Macdonald, November 19, 2006

Dirt trail follows transmission lines in Salt Lake City at Parleys Canyon; photo by Stuart Macdonald, Dec. 30, 2006

Trail through green belt includes transmission lines; Bechtel Blvd. in Denver, CO; photo by Stuart Macdonald, November, 2009

Rails with trails project includes power lines in Burlington, WA; photo by Stuart Macdonald, August, 2003

Power poles line trail in active railroad corridor, Burlington, WA; photo by Stuart Macdonald, August, 2003

Cherry Creek Trail in winter parallelled by power lines, Denver, CO; photo by Stuart Macdonald, Nov. 15, 2009

Transmission structures are close to Cherry Creek Trail through park land in Denver, CO; photo by Stuart Macdonald, October 14, 2009

No barriers or fences on transmission structures along Cherry Creek Trail, in Denver, CO; photo by Stuart Macdonald, October 14, 2009

High tension lines and trail through open space along Van Bibber Creek, Jefferson County Open Space, Colorado; photo by Stuart Macdonald, August 1, 2009

Power substation is next to bikeway on Van Bibber Creek Open Space, Jefferson County, Colorado; photo by Stuart Macdonald, August 1, 2009

Trail along Platte River close to major power lines in Adams County north of Denver, CO; photo by Stuart Macdonald, May 26, 2007

Platte Greenway runs close to coal-fired power plant on north side of Denver; photo by Stuart Macdonald, May 26, 2007

Sand Creek Trail crosses over Platte River at confluence of the two streams and trails; photo by Stuart Macdonald, Oct. 14, 2009

Little Tennessee National Recreation Trail is parallelled by power lines through Franklin, NC; photo by Stuart Macdonald, Mar. 21, 2009

Long Branch Trail at Fou rMile Run, Arlington, VA is a major power line corridor in the Washington, DC area; photo by Stuart Macdonald, June 15, 2007