A Living Memorial That Connects Us All

What makes the 9/11 Trail unique from other memorials is the very connection between the three attack sites. The miles stretch through the varying landscape of the Mid-Atlantic, from big cities to rural towns—a true journey through our great country.

For some, the trail is a place to grieve. For others, a place to remember. For younger generations, a place to learn. Your support keeps this connection strong.

Your decision to donate or participate in our rides helps raise awareness of the trail and contributes further in the following ways: 
* Support signage and wayfinding that connects travelers between New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia—ensuring no one gets lost on their journey of remembrance.
* Fund educational programs that teach future generations about the events of 9/11 as they travel the physical connection between the three sites.
* Enable commemorative rides, walks, and gatherings that bring together the 22 partner communities along the trail's route.

A bit of the trail's history: Just five days after the September 11th attacks, David Brickley, a veteran, former Virginia legislator, and trail conservation advocate, conceived and led the creation of the September 11th National Memorial Trail to honor victims and connect the three 9/11 sites. He proposed a 'continuously linked multi-purpose, non-motorized trail' to honor those who lost their lives and connect the three attack sites. You can follow the full history of how the trail evolved at our time line on our web site at this link.

For 2026, the 25th Anniversary of 9/11, we have may opportunities for you to experience the trail. First and foremost, you can support our cause with a simple donation of $100 by signing up for our 25th Anniversary Cycling Challenge. You will receive a commemorative 25th Anniversary (special edition silver color) challenge coin. We have forged partnerships with bike clubs and rides that are in proximity to the trail. There is a list of more than 30 rides in which you can choose to participate. We will be at all of these rides, and you can visit our tent at the end of each ride to log your mileage and have a chance to collect prizes recognizing your accomplishments in the challenge throughout the season. 

We are also running our 9/11 National Memorial Trail Tour - the full trail, riding 1200 miles over 28 days, experiencing it completely. If that feels too daunting - you can choose to do smaller portions from 1 to 3 to 7 or more days - whatever suits your preference and timing needs. If you'd like to explore a customized subset of the ride - please email community@911trail.org 

We are finalizing plans for our single day rides - save the date on September 5th, 2026 for our Tour de Trail: NYC - which will start at ground zero and ride a 30-35 mile loop over the GWB and down the Jersey side looking at various 9/11 monuments along the way. Once the ride is formally launched - a link will replace this text here.

September 12th we will host our ride in Shanksville, PA.
September 27th we will host our ride at the Pentagon in Arlington, VA.

We hope your club will consider a weekend trip out this way for a unique experience. If you are interested, once again please email community@911trail.org.