
Trails research can help support trail management decision-making and funding by providing objective, quantitative information describing trail users, their numbers and demographics, preferences, and economic expenditures.
by Jeffrey Marion, Ph.D., Federal Scientist, U.S. Geological Survey
Trails research can help support trail management decision-making and funding by providing objective, quantitative information describing trail users, their numbers and demographics, preferences, and economic expenditures. Sometimes knowledge of trail-related use, demand, and expenditures can make or break decisions regarding the funding of new trails and related facilities. While not common, these types of studies are occasionally conducted and used for these purposes. Less common are studies oriented to examining or improving trail sustainability, including various types of trail resource surveys. This handout focuses on these last two issues, though the conclusions point to a need for all types of trails research.
Published July 2022
ON FIRE: The Report of the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission
posted Oct 2, 2023
The wildfire crisis in the United States is urgent, severe, and far reaching. Wildfire is no longer simply a land management problem, nor is it isolated to certain regions or geographies. Across this nation, increasingly destructive wildfires are posing ever-greater threats to human lives, livelihoods, and public safety.
Why Trails Matter: Outdoor Learning
posted Sep 10, 2023
Getting outside can help you learn, and trails play a critical role in accessing natural places and learning to love them.
posted Aug 23, 2023
What would it take for all Americans to be able to go out their front doors and within fifteen minutes be on trails that wind through their cities, towns or villages and bring them back without retracing steps?
Why Trails Matter: Resilience to Wildfire
posted Aug 9, 2023
Trails connect suburban and rural communities to wild places, and they can play an important role in landscape resilience, as wildfire becomes more frequent in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) where homes are increasingly being built.