
filed under: interpretation
How far have I gone? How far is it to the trailhead?
Mileage can be marked off on signs, posts, stones, or stencils on the pavement.
by Stuart Macdonald, Trail Consultant, American Trails
Measuring distance along trails and greenways is important in urban areas as well as in the remote backcountry. Mileage can be marked off on signs, posts, stones, or stencils on the pavement. Being able to state more accurate locations along a trail can also help with emergency response. Maintenance needs can also be more readily identified where accurate mileage is measured. Some mile posts include the direction and distance to trailheads and access points. In some places such as trailheads, larger signs are used to convey distance and destination information. Presented here are a wide variety of solutions for conveying trail distances to trail users.
Thermoplastic mile marker applied to the concrete trail surface at Willamette River Greenway; Eugene, Oregon
Mile marker made from standard concrete block; Little Tennessee River Trail, Franklin, North Carolina
Trail signs include mileage to destinations on the Schuylkill River Trail; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Published December 2019
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