Recommended Resources

Trail-Specific Recommended Resources

Recommended Webinars

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Apr 14, 2022

Revitalizing Rural Economies and Strengthening Main Streets Through Trails

This webinar will discuss the Recreation Economy for Rural Communities (RERC) program. You'll also hear from one of ten community partners who received RERC assistance in its pilot round in 2021.


published Jun 2000

Ridge to River Trail System Users Survey

Why a survey? Know your customer. This adage applies to both the public and private sectors. By better understanding the trail user: where they live; how they get to the trails; how they use the trails; what they enjoy; and their general level of satisfaction; we can better allocate scarce resources.


published Aug 2008

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.


published Sep 2007

Road and Trail Intersection Safety

by Parks and Trails New York

The time has come to learn more about the needs and behaviors of motorists and trail users and ensure that design guidelines and laws and policies governing road and trail intersections fully provide for the safety of this increasingly prevalent type of traffic junction. The purpose of this study is to examine the current state of practice of the design and management of intersections between trails and roadways, gather feedback on road and trail intersection crashes and complaints, raise public awareness of the issue of road and trail intersection safety, and offer policy and design recommendations that will improve the safety of road and trail intersections.


posted Feb 19, 2018

Roads to Trails

Learn the step-by-step process for a full mechanical road-to-trail conversion from planning and outreach to design, construction, and working with volunteers.


published Apr 2002

Roadway and Bikeway Maintenance Practices

Specific issues and goals for maintaining bikeways and the roadway edge where the majority of bicycling takes place.


published Sep 2021

RTP - Workforce Development, Equity, and Climate Resiliency

The Recreational Trails Program directly addresses our desire to put young people to work, provide equitable access to nature, and provide resilient responses to natural disasters


published Nov 2019

Safe Encounters with Horses on Shared-Use Trails

by Dianne Martin

American Trails contributor Dianne Martin shares some tips on how to safely share trails with horses.


published Jun 2003

Safe Management of Power Line Trails

by Gary Holisko

Trails are often built in utility corridors of all kinds, from underground pipelines to electric power lines overhead. Over the years some articles have raised concerns, apparently unfounded, about electromagnetic fields (EMF) emanating from power lines. But other factors are more important when managing utility line trails.


published Feb 2014

Safe Routes to Everywhere

by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC)

Transportation connects people and places. It provides access to jobs, education, shopping and recreation. More than one-quarter of all trips we make are less than a mile — an easy walking distance — and nearly one-half of all trips are within three miles — an easy biking distance. Yet, we make more than 78 percent of these short trips by car.


published Dec 2004

Sample agreement among land manager, landowner, and trail organization

A typical agreement addressing all issues and responsibilities of the parties to allow for trail use, in this case on the City of Austin's Water Quality Protection Lands (December 2004).


published Jun 2016

San Francisco Bay Trail Design Guidelines and Toolkit

These guidelines offer direction and define goals to facilitate the design and development of a San Francisco Bay Trail system that is safe, connected and continuous; provides a positive user experience that encourages people to use the trail; and maximizes access to and use by the broadest spectrum of people possible.