Resource Library:

Planning And Design

Subcategories • Accessible Trail DesignCase StudiesCost EstimatingFeasibility StudiesLivable/Active CommunitiesLand Acquisition and ConservationMaster PlansSignage and InterpretationTrailheadsTrail Networks DesignTrails as TransportationClosing Trail System GapsWildlife and Habitat



posted Dec 20, 2023

Six Steps to Build a TrailNation™

This webinar will highlight the six actionable strategies for building trail networks, as noted in Rails to Trails Conservancy’s TrailNation™ Playbook.


published Dec 2016

Small Town and Rural Multimodal Networks

by Federal Highway Administration

The Small Town and Rural Multimodal Networks report is a resource and idea book intended to help small towns and rural communities support safe, accessible, comfortable, and active travel for people of all ages and abilities.


published Feb 2021

Smart Outdoor Inc. is Bringing Innovative Signs to Trails in New York and Beyond

Westchester County New York and Friends of Westchester County Parks, in collaboration with Westchester County Parks, announce collaboration with Smart Outdoor to enhance 34.6-mile running trail.


published Jul 2010

Smithsonian Guidelines for Accessible Exhibition Design

Exhibitions are complex presentations that convey concepts, showcase objects, and excite the senses. However, as museums recognize the diversity within their audiences, they realize that exhibitions must do more: exhibitions must teach to different learning styles, respond to issues of cultural and gender equity, and offer multiple levels of information. The resulting changes in exhibitions have made these presentations more understandable, enjoyable, and connected to visitors’ lives.


posted Feb 19, 2018

So You Want to Build a Bike Park?

Learn how to plan and develop a bike park in your community.


posted May 23, 2018

Soil Stabilizers On Universally Accessible Trails

For the past several years, national forests around the country have been looking for ways to make areas more universally accessible, while maintaining a natural appearance that is not as distracting as concrete, asphalt, boardwalks, and other obviously manmade pathways.


posted Feb 19, 2018

Something for Nothing, Something for Everyone

Some of America’s most exciting and interesting trail destinations are hidden in plain sight, unrecognized by the communities that they link, often with existing infrastructure.


published Apr 2003

South Carolina Trails Survey

The purpose of this study was to provide an extensive description of the use of trails in South Carolina.


published Nov 2004

Stabilized Engineered Wood Fiber for Accessible Trails

by USDA Forest Service

Trails made with wood chips are difficult for those who use mobility aids because the surface is soft, uneven, and shifting.


published Jun 2019

Standing Boy Creek State Park Mountain Bike Trails Master Plan

by IMBA Trail Solutions

This master plan is a result of the entirety of IMBA TS site visits, with greater importance placed on those 2018 and 2019 planning and design site visits. The master plan represents industry best practices, professional expertise and experience, modern trail theory, and insights gained from numerous conversations with GA DNR, CVA-SORBA, and many others.