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.
posted Jul 15, 2022
This guide considers the environmental impacts of particular activities, viz., hiking and camping, off road vehicles and recreational boats, as well as impacts specific to certain ecosystems.
posted Jul 15, 2022
This webinar describes the three most common forms of trail impact, identifies the most influential factors to develop and maintain sustainable trail networks, and discusses methods for rating trail sustainability.
posted Jul 15, 2022
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail (A.T.) is a unique internationally recognized protected natural area encompassing more than 250,000 acres and a 2,190-mile footpath from Maine to Georgia.
posted Jul 15, 2022
This research investigates horse trail impacts to gain an improved understanding of the relationship between various levels of horse use, horse trail management alternatives, and subsequent horse trail degradation.
posted Jan 14, 2022
The Frisco Highline Trail, a National Recreation Trail, is using a team of goats to tame vegetation around the trail.
posted Aug 19, 2020
by Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
The DCR’s Trails Program seeks to provide a safe, quality recreation experience for a diverse range of trail users while practicing sound stewardship of the Commonwealth’s natural and cultural resources. This “Trails Guidelines and Best Practices Manual” meets this responsibility by providing a consistent set of trail management policies, guidelines, procedures, and best practices in sustainable trail development.
posted Aug 17, 2020
by NWT Recreation and Parks Assn.
NWT communities are connected by countless numbers of trails, though few of them are dedicated ski trails. With a little work, some equipment and know-how, ski doo trails, walking trails, cutlines, riverbeds, fields and lakes can be turned into quality ski trails. And it’s well worth the effort. Groomed and tracked ski trails are easier to ski on, easier to learn on, better to race on and a whole lot faster than bush trails. Groomed trails turn skiing into skiing!
posted Aug 14, 2020
by American Council of Snowmobile Assns. (ACSA)
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.
posted Aug 3, 2020
by Minnesota Department of Transportation
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.
posted Jul 30, 2020
This Trail Maintenance Manual was developed as a field guideline and procedure manual for Park staff responsible for the maintenance, construction, and operation of the Santa Clara County Parks trails’ system.
posted Jul 29, 2020
by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC)
This study presents a more comprehensive understanding of rail-trail maintenance, as has been done for other rail-trail issues such as construction costs, economic impact and rails-with-trails. Such an approach enables the rail-trail community to focus its limited resources more effectively on addressing the most critical issues.
