published Oct 17, 2000

Planning Healthier Suburbs, Where Cars Sit Idle and People Get Moving

The goal is to engineer more physical activity into American life to reduce both spreading obesity and the chronic, often lethal health problems linked to sedentary living.

published May 19, 2003

The Benefits that Trails Provide to Communities

This planning effort directs the development of goals and action plans to meet the future needs in advance of their demand.

published Jul 23, 2001

More Physical Activity Leads to Less Cognitive Decline

A Prospective Study of Physical Activity and Cognitive Decline in Elderly Women: Women Who Walk

published Jan 1, 1991

Developing Sustainable Mountain Trail Corridors

by Hugh Duffy with National Park Service

This article introduces the criteria of maximum profile grade relative to the existing cross slope (fall line) as key to the development of natural surface trail projects that are sustainable. Key trail design concepts excerpted from trail documents are presented in this article.

published Jan 16, 2018

New Retaining Walls Stabilize Trail at Navajo Lake State Park, New Mexico

by Judy Kowalski, Parks Division, NM Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department

New stabilization for this year-round trail.

published Aug 3, 2017

Improving Public Health through Public Parks and Trails

by U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Parks and trail corridors have been important for public health in the United States for more than 100 years.

published Jan 4, 2018

Optimizing Trail Grade: The Key to Creating Sought-After Trails

by Randy Martin with Trailscape

Designers and land managers should consider the benefits of lengthening trails to lower the average grade while at the same time including short sections that are much steeper.

published Jan 3, 2018

Sustainable Trails: Doing it Right the First Time

by John Favro with TrailsGuy, LLC Trails Consulting

When you construct or reroute a trail, you are putting a structure on the landscape that will be there, in good or bad condition, for 100 years or more in most places. So why not do it right?

published Mar 31, 2007

Basic Elements of Trail Design and Trail Layout

by American Trails Staff

The goal of trail building is to create a long-term relationship between humans and nature.

published Jan 1, 2018

Brothers of the Brush Hook, an Interview with Charlie Dundas

by Mike Passo with American Trails

The thing that excites me is when I go out and I see people using our trails and I see families on the trails, you know? It pleases me and excites me that I’m beginning to, once again, see moms and dads and kids on trails, not just the mountain bikers.