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 Jun 4, 2019

Trail Map “Do's and Dont's"

by Jeremy Apgar with New York - New Jersey Trail Conference

All trail users, from casual walkers to experienced mountain bikers or hikers, should have access to a good trail map to make the most of their outdoor experience.


posted Jul 14, 2020

Trail Marking Standards Across Varying Landscapes

Join trail designers and builders who work in vastly different landscapes as they discuss the unique marking challenges that their landscapes present.


published Feb 2022

Trail Planning and Design Hub

Everything you need to know about trail planning and design for long lasting trails.


posted Aug 16, 2023

Trail Planning and Design: Foundations of Success

This webinar will review several common approaches and technologies for trail planning and design projects and provide attendees with real world examples.


posted Jun 23, 2022

Trail Planning Technology

Learn how to use a variety of mobile and desktop based technologies to assess, plan, and design trails across the country.


posted Jan 19, 2018

Trail Planning, Design & Development Guidelines

by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

This 300-page spiral-bound publication, several years in the making, provides a first-ever comprehensive "how-to" guidebook for developing all types of recreational trails.


published Dec 2017

Trail Signage Guidelines

by City of San Jose - Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services

The purpose of this document is to provide the required tools for trail planners, designers, and contractors to deploy a cohesive trail signage program throughout the City of San José’s Trail Network.


posted Feb 5, 2018

Trail Wayfinding Systems

This webinar will provide trail and greenway planners, designers, and managers with a practical understanding of trail/ped/bike wayfinding and informational systems with an emphasis on in-the-field structures and media.


posted Feb 19, 2018

Trails -- Core Attribute of a Sustainable Community

San Jose California and Atlanta Georgia are advancing large scale trail developments as core elements of sustainable development.


published Jan 2024

Trails Across New York: A Grassroots Guide to Developing Greenway Trails

by Parks and Trails New York

This guide walks advocates and trail planners through the steps needed to see a greenway trail completed. The first section outlines the steps needed to get a project started, from identifying the corridor to cultivating the vision that will help inspire engagement and public support, and eventually lead to buy-in from state and/or local government.