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posted Feb 14, 2022

Trail Planning and Design Hub

Everything you need to know about trail planning and design for long lasting trails.

posted Nov 9, 2021

Trail Accessibility Hub

Everything you need to know about planning, building, and maintaining accessible trails.

posted Aug 5, 2019

Planning Trails With Wildlife in Mind - Wildlife and Trails Primer

by American Trails Staff

The Primer provides discussion of broad wildlife topics, plus key concepts and rules of thumb to help with trail planning and management.

posted Mar 13, 2018

Active Transportation and Parks and Recreation

by National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA)

A national study on Active Transportation and Parks and Recreation.

posted Dec 22, 2020

Mountain Bike Trails Concept Plan for Moose River Plains Wild Forest

by IMBA Trail Solutions

IMBA Trail Solutions visited the Moose River Plains Wild Forest for one week in October of 2013 to conduct field research, meet with stakeholders, and to begin the process of developing a conceptual design for mountain bike use in the area. All of the designs presented in this report are conceptual in nature and have not been completely field verified. Additional work will need to be done in the field to finalize the designs of reroutes and proposed trails described in this report.


posted Dec 22, 2020

Planning and Managing Environmentally Friendly Mountain Bike Trails

This guidebook can be used to assist in successfully planning, designing, and constructing mountain bike trail systems, while keeping in mind that user issues must be addressed at every stage of development.


posted Nov 27, 2020

Trail Design for Small Properties

Trail Design for Small Properties provides simple, inexpensive solutions for designing, building, and maintaining sustainable trials—trails for hiking, horseback riding, bicycling, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, off-highway motorcycles (OHMs), and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs).


posted Nov 23, 2020

Gwinnett Countywide Trails Wayfinding and Signage Guide

by Gwinnett County Department of Community Services

Gwinnett County is currently the second most populous county in Georgia with more than 936,000 residents and also has a minority-majority population. By 2050, estimates project Gwinnett could grow to as many as 1.5 million residents, making it the most populated county in the state.


posted Nov 13, 2020

PedNet is Making a Difference on the Ground in Missouri

by Josh Adams

American Trails contributor Josh Adams recently interviewed Lawrence Simonson, who serves as the Chief Strategy Officer of the PedNet Coalition, to talk pedestrian safety, projects and obstacles, and making a difference in Missouri.


posted Oct 20, 2020

The Greenway Guidebook

With this document, the Dakota County Greenway Collaborative takes the approach used in roadbuilding and applies it to creating a countywide network of greenways.


posted Oct 7, 2020

Proper Signage Makes a Trail Come Alive

From wayfinding signage that help the public navigate your trail, to informational signs that educate trail visitors about the area, promote conservation, and create a more interactive experience, proper signage can take trails to the next level.


posted Sep 30, 2020

Colorado Parks & Wildlife 2016-2026 Statewide Trails Strategic Plan

This Statewide Trails Strategic Plan and the State Trails Program aim to ensure that program direction and efforts are consistent with other cooperators, funders, stakeholders, and ultimately service the expectations and needs of Colorado’s residents and visitors.


posted Sep 25, 2020

California State Parks Accessibility Guidelines

by California State Parks, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division

The Accessibility Guidelines are intended as a reference manual and department policy on accessible design and shall be utilized in planning and implementing regular maintenance activities, construction projects, publications, exhibits, new programs, and special events. The guidelines are not a comprehensive set of requirements for all situations, but rather a summary of information from many sources which provide guidance for common uses in the State Park System. This document is an update to the 2009 edition.


posted Sep 25, 2020

Smithsonian Guidelines for Accessible Exhibition Design

Exhibitions are complex presentations that convey concepts, showcase objects, and excite the senses. However, as museums recognize the diversity within their audiences, they realize that exhibitions must do more: exhibitions must teach to different learning styles, respond to issues of cultural and gender equity, and offer multiple levels of information. The resulting changes in exhibitions have made these presentations more understandable, enjoyable, and connected to visitors’ lives.


posted Aug 21, 2020

Guidelines for a Quality Trail Experience

by Bureau of Land Management, International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA)

In the context of mountain bike trails, excellence is realized when a trail design merges the desired outcomes and difficulty that a rider seeks with the setting in which the outcomes are realized.


posted Aug 20, 2020

Virginia’s Long-Distance Trail Network: Connecting Our Commonwealth

The purpose of this plan is to assess progress to-date and develop a strategy to connect local and regional systems into a statewide trail network reaching to all areas of the Commonwealth.