Finely crushed rock (crusher fines) is a useful alternative to paving trails that accommodates most trail activities.
Top quality crusher fines trail along the Highline Canal in Cherry Hills Village, CO; photo by Stuart Macdonald
Crusher fines is a finely-crushed stone mix that is often the byproduct of gravel operations. Crushed stone trails provide a user-friendly, all-season surface for all types and ages of visitors, including strollers, wheelchairs, and road bikes. If built properly crushed stone trails can meet the specification for a "firm and stable" surface as defined in current federal guidelines for accessible trails.
Best Practices:
The Art of Building Crushed Stone Trails
Crushed stone trails provide a user-friendly, all-season surface for all types and ages of visitors, including strollers, wheelchairs, and road bikes.
What You Need to Know About Building Trails with Crusher Fines
A crusher fine trail combines the rustic feeling of a natural surface trail with a surface type that's durable (but not concrete or asphalt). The natural gravel-like surface feels more like a trail than a hard surfaced path and fits in well with primitive settings.
Rio Grande Trail Corridor Study: Trail Surfacing Report
This report sorts through the various choices for the most "economical and sustainable" types of trail surfacing options along the proposed Rio Grande Trail corridor from Belen to Sunland Park, New Mexico.
Typical crusher fines surface showing very firm matrix with only a few loose larger rock particles.
Water running down the slope gathers on the crusher fines trail because of insufficient cross slope of the trail.
A better crusher fines trail in the same Bluff Lake Nature Area, Denver
Here the edging keeps water from draining so obstacles in the form of drainage bars were placed to try to keep the crushed rock from eroding.
Horses, bikes, and walkers all use the crusher fines Highline Canal Trail near Denver, CO.
Top quality crusher fines trail along the Highline Canal in Cherry Hills Village, CO.
The fabric used under the crusher fines is exposed because of insufficient depth of material; Big Dry Creek Nature Trail, Westminster, CO
Crusher fines trail built up to form a bench; Lomaki Wupatki National Monument, AZ
Crusher fines will eventually dry smooth once snowmelt stops; Adams County, Colorado, park.
Crusher fines trail lined with native rock; Lomaki Wupatki National Monument, AZ.
A fine grained, dark crusher rock is the surface for trail at Westerly Creek Dam, Denver.
Crushed rock that is larger and looser than ideal; Bluff Lake Nature Area, Denver.
The plank edging is supposed to keep the crusher fines in place; Big Dry Creek Nature Trail, Westminster, CO.
Trail climbs at a low angle up the face of Westerly Creek Dam, Denver.
Crusher fines trail on top of the Westerly Creek Dam, Denver.
Typical crusher fines trail in a natural setting .
The landscape fabric is exposed in this Philadelphia park due to runoff: the trail runs straight down the slope.
How Permeable Pavers Make a Difference
Permeable Pavers provide stable, low-impact pathway through Rookery Bay Research Reserve.
Environmental Impacts from Mtn Bicycles, Electric Mtn Bicycles, & Motorcycles
The emergence of electric bicycles, commonly known as e-bikes, is a rapidly growing component of the bicycle market in the US. As a transportation option, they represent an opportunity to reduce vehicle use and emissions, as well as the physical barriers to cycling. For use on trails, they present similar opportunities to reduce barriers to cycling but, as a new use, present new challenges for trail management.
What is a sustainable trail? Building a sustainable trail system takes into account many factors. Most importantly, a sustainable trail should have as little impact to the environment as possible; this is accomplished through proper trail planning, design, construction and maintenance. A properly built trail will last for generations to come with little maintenance needed and will blend into the natural surroundings.
Preventative Maintenance for Recreational Trails
The growth in recreational trails owned by the State, Cities, Counties, and Park systems over the last 20 plus years has exploded. Most if not all efforts related to recreational trails over these years has been focused on construction of new trails. There have been little organized efforts in trail preservation and or preventive maintenance (PM) methods to extend the usable life of the trails. The agencies that have a PM programs for their recreational trails rely on treatments that started out as highway or street treatments that may have been modified for use on the trails.
