Roxton, Texas -- The City of Roxton rolled out the red carpet August 10, 2012 to welcome bicyclists who will one day be rolling into town on of the longest trails in the U.S. The Northeast Texas Trail will carry hikers, bikers and horse-back riders from the trailhead in Farmersville through Collin, Hunt, Fannin, Delta, Lamar, Red River and Bowie counties to New Boston. In all, the scenic 132-mile trail will pass through 19 rural towns and seven counties as it follows a railbanked corridor of railroad track no longer active.

While some rural communities are slow to grasp the economic potential of a nationally known trail frequented by outdoor enthusiasts, Roxton "gets it." Perhaps that is because this town is already enjoying a boost to the local economy from bikers due to the fact this colorful rural city is one of the major waypoints of the annual Tour de Paris Bike Tour.

Bicycling is the second most popular outdoor recreation in the U.S. and, according to the U.S. Travel Association, bicycling is now the third most common vacation activity in America. Bicycle trips have increased exponentially in the past decade.

photo by Earl Erickson

On August 10, the population of Roxton swelled by more than 10% for a quarterly meeting of Northeast Texas Trail Coalition. Unfortunately for local restaurants, shops and bed & breakfasts, most people attending the meeting arrived by vehicle -- bicyclists traditionally travel as light as possible and are constantly on the lookout for a good meal, supplies and a place to spend the night, all of which translates into economic development for forward-thinking communities. However, two men biked along a section of trail with one man starting in Farmersville and the second man joining him in Celeste for the ride to Roxton.

As the fifth-longest trail in the U.S. begins to take shape, Mike Freiberger biked from Celeste to Roxton last week to attend a quarterly meeting of Northeast Texas Trail Coalition.

Yes, there are fallen limbs north of Celeste and the entire route needs to be mowed, but, other than those easily remedied deterrents, the riders reported this trail is good to go.

The featured speaker at the meeting in Roxton was Dawn Frederickson of Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the entity that oversees operation of the 237-mile Katy Trail that stretches across much of Missouri.

"Twenty-three years ago we were in the same position you are in today," Ms. Frederickson told supporters of Northeast Texas Trail, "but now Katy Trail is a big economic driver for the entire state of Missouri."

Katy Trail attracts 400,000 visitors annually. With a $900,000 annual budget, the trail is credited with approximately $10 million in direct sales each year and overall annual economic development is estimated to be slightly more than $18 million.

Frederickson said 2.5 million people live within an hour’s drive of the trail which features countless examples of railroad history, including four restored depots. Katy Trail follows a section of Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad right-of-way that was railbanked to preserve railroad tracks no longer in use. One group of neighboring landowners, in hopes of recovering land sold to the railroad in the late 1880s, hired lawyers in an attempt to block the trail. This watershed case was eventually heard by the Supreme Court which upheld the Rails to Trails initiative primarily because the court decided landowners had already been compensated.

Frederickson explained that Katy Trail closes to traffic at dusk and doesn't allow camping on the sides of the trail. Local entrepreneurs tend to develop camping areas near trailheads, while nearby bed & breakfasts, hotels, motels, shops and restaurants also benefit from this policy.

When asked what development directly related to the trail surprised her most, Frederickson said it was the fact that people were purchasing small weekend homes in towns with no particular attribute other than it was located along the trail. This allowed the new owners to bicycle to their weekend homes.

Approximately 75 people attended the meeting in Roxton and, as sections of the Northeast Texas Trail are improved, attendance grows at each quarterly meeting of Northeast Texas Trail Coalition.

Roxton Mayor James Cooper welcomes Northeast Texas Trail supporters to Roxton.

Historic bridge over Cane Creek in Roxton.