published Jan 1, 2009
The purpose of this research was to examine the outcomes prompting hiking along the Appalachian Trail (AT).
published Jun 1, 2013
This study evaluated pack weight to understand the limits of long-term load carriage. Participants were Appalachian Trail hikers who attempted to complete the entire trail in the 2012 season.
published Jun 30, 2018
The phenomena of thru-hiking has been on a dramatic rise, spurring hikers to venture onto increasingly remote and challenging trails over extended periods of time. Despite the recent popularity of thru-hiking, the field remains relatively unstudied. In recreation,
the expectations held beforehand have been linked to perceptions after an activity, but this has not been explored in thru-hiking.
published Jun 1, 2015
by
American Hiking Society
Fifty years ago President Johnson set in motion the establishment of a national system of trails for America. Since LBJ’s famous speech outlining his vision, America has accomplished much . . .
posted Aug 18, 2020
The US Geological Survey and DOI are advancing the vision to provide better access to public lands and improve connectivity on the nation’s public trail systems with the National Digital Trails Network (NDT) project. Join us for an overview of the project and a demonstration of the Trail Routing, Analysis, and Information Linkage System (TRAILS) tool.
published Aug 1, 2015
In recent years, fat bikes have become a popular option for mountain bikers. A fat bike is a mountain bike equipped with tires ranging from 9.3 – 10.1 cm wide, twice as wide as a traditional mountain bike tire (Barber, 2014). This allows them to be ridden at an inflation pressure as low as 27579 Pascal (4 PSI). The wide surface area, and low inflation pressure, of these tires allows for excellent handling of the bicycle while riding over sand, mud, and snow. It is difficult, if not impossible, for a traditional mountain bike to ride over such surfaces.
published Feb 16, 2016
In the USA, sales and use of “fat bikes” (bicycles with 75–120 mm-wide tires) have increased dramatically in the past five years. These bikes are designed to open new terrain to cyclists, including snow-covered trails and softer ground surfaces impossible to ride with a standard mountain bike. In this paper, we discuss the extent and possible trends of fat bike use, potential impacts, conflicts and land management approaches.
published Jun 30, 2018
by
Outdoor Foundation
A participant in outdoor recreation is defined as an individual who took part in one or more of 42 outdoor activities at least once during 2017.
published Aug 19, 2020
by
American Trails Staff
We asked our readers to send us their favorite trail shoes. These are the results.
published Aug 1, 2010
by
National Park Service
This plan provides broad-based policies, guidelines, and standards for administering the four trails to ensure the protection of trail resources, their interpretation, and their continued use. Subsequent planning efforts tier off of the Comprehensive Management and Use Plan and provide more detailed recommendations and guidance. Among the many recommendations in the Comprehensive Management and Use Plan is one calling for a trails-wide interpretive plan.
