Trail grooming has changed significantly since initial trails and grooming programs were established decades ago. Snowmobile tourism has grown, bringing higher user expectations and requirements. At the same time trail grooming equipment and operating costs have also increased dramatically compared to costs in previous decades. Consequently grooming management in today’s operating atmosphere requires more adaptive approaches to be most responsive to increased needs, expectations, and costs.
by American Council of Snowmobile Assns. (ACSA)
Snowmobile trail grooming most commonly involves using a tracked groomer to pull a drag which has cutting blades and a packing pan to mechanically produce a smooth over-snow trail surface. In deep snow areas, snowmobile trail grooming may also be performed with a tiller mounted on the rear of a tracked snow cat. Groomed snowmobile trails create a more enjoyable experience for snowmobilers and help extend riding opportunities later in the season. The firmly compacted trail base created by grooming also helps trails withstand heavy snowmobile traffic.
Trail grooming has changed significantly since initial trails and grooming programs were established decades ago. Snowmobile tourism has grown, bringing higher user expectations and requirements. At the same time trail grooming equipment and operating costs have also increased dramatically compared to costs in previous decades. Consequently grooming management in today’s operating atmosphere requires more adaptive approaches to be most responsive to increased needs, expectations, and costs.
Snowmobile trail grooming ranks as one of the most expensive types of recreational trail maintenance since it generally requires frequent restoration of the trail surface on a daily to weekly basis. Grooming efforts must be closely managed since trail conditions are heavily effected by weather conditions that can be wide ranging and include varying snow depths, new snowfall amounts, winds, extreme temperature fluctuations, freeze-thaw cycles, and sometimes even rainfall. Trail terrain, varying traffic volumes, and differing local use patterns all combine with those variant weather conditions to compel flexible and adaptive management decisions if grooming efforts are to be effective.
Trail grooming generally consumes the largest amount of snowmobile trail programs’ operating budgets. The cost of operating grooming programs today is so significant that grooming efforts must be managed much more holistic – more so as regional business operations rather than fragmented local efforts – if they are to be most cost effective and efficient. While grooming management decisions must ultimately made at local levels commensurate with local snow and use conditions, the following Best Management Practices (BMPs) are offered to help guide local grooming management decisions.
Attached document published December 2015
ACSA is a national organization uniting the snowmobile community and promoting snowmobiling as a safe, fun and environmentally friendly family sport.
Ice Age National Scenic Trail: Trail Stewardship Notebook
posted Mar 27, 2024
The Ice Age National Scenic Trail (NST) is a thousand-mile footpath highlighting Wisconsin’s renowned Ice Age heritage and scenic beauty. The Ice Age Trail Alliance (IATA) and its partners can shape users’ experiences. As stewards of the land and the Trail, we can help users develop a connection with the land and create a sense of wonder — even pique their curiosity enough to further explore the Trail.
posted Nov 25, 2023
This white paper provides collected best practices on winter bikeway maintenance as seen in US cities and around the world. The paper covers snow removal from bikeways, different types of de-icing surface applications and their advantages/disadvantages, and best practices for winter maintenance prioritization and scheduling. The paper also includes a brief discussion on innovative winter maintenance techniques either in use or in development.
Winter Maintenance Resource Guide
posted Nov 25, 2023
Who is responsible for winter maintenance—property owners or government agencies—and what are the challenges?
posted Jul 15, 2022
For trails to be considered “sustainable” they must meet these recreational needs while providing adequate protection to the environment while minimizing trail maintenance.
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