Skip to content

Friday Video: Getting City Dwellers to the Great Outdoors Without a Car

In most American cities, it's downright hard to take transit to a hiking trail — but these eight break the mold.

In America, most long walks in the woods begin with a long drive in a car. But does being auto-free have to mean never going for a hike again?

Check out the latest City Nerd video, which breaks down the eight — yes, only eight — U.S. cities where people who don’t drive have at least one good transit option to the great outdoors.

And when you’re done, check out one of Streetsblog’s greatest hits on why so many National Parks are totally inaccessible without a personal automobile, and why that’s a serious problem for citydwellers and the natural world alike. (Or check out Gersh Kuntzman’s failed effort to use transit to the amazing New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia — which is on an Amtrak line connecting New York and Chicago.)

Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday Video: Inside the Global Far-Right Push To Rip Out Bike Lanes

October 23, 2026

Friday’s Headlines Shoot Themselves in the Foot

October 23, 2026

Talking Headways Podcast: A More Humanized Experience in Honolulu

October 22, 2026

Our Best Bet To Confront Climate Change in the Trump Era? Build More Apartments

October 22, 2026

What ‘Flying Cars’ Could Mean For US Car Culture

October 22, 2026
See all posts