Recommended Resources

More Resources


Sort: Most Viewed Date Published Title

published Jun 2012

10 Tips for Counting Visitors on Trails

by Yves Zsutty with City of San Jose - Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services

If you aren’t counting and surveying trail users, you may be missing an opportunity to better fund your program and help the community understand the value of your trail system or interconnected network of trails.


published Jun 2011

Billings, Montana Trail Asset Management Plan

by Yellowstone County Metropolitan Planning Organization

Billings has successfully implemented over 35 miles of trail in the last 15 years, causing concern over how the trails will be maintained, which departments are responsible for maintenance, and how it will be funded.


published Sep 2006

Canalway Trail User Count and Methodology

The Trail User Count Survey was conducted to provide information on the number and types of trail users at several different locations along the Canalway Trail within Oneida, Herkimer, and Montgomery counties.


published May 2007

Capital Crescent Trail-Georgetown Branch Trail Survey Report

This survey was conducted to obtain information on the amount and type of use of this popular trail.


published Jun 2019

Counting Trail Users

by Matt Ainsley with Eco-Counter, Inc.

Until recently, user count data was collected manually through an annual volunteer effort. In 2017, however, a program in Pennsylvania took their count program to the next level by rolling out 17 automated Eco-Counters in all four corners of the state.


published Jan 2010

Data Survey and Sampling Procedures to Quantify Recreation Use of National Forests in Alaska

by USDA Forest Service

Estimating visitor numbers and collecting information on visitor attitudes in Alaska national forests is especially challenging because of the dispersed access to the forests by a relatively small number of visitors.


published Sep 2010

Every Mile Counts: Economic Analysis of 2008 New York Trail User Surveys

Surveys were undertaken on eight shared-use trails to see who uses these trails, how far they travel to a trail, and what they spend and on what items.


published Sep 2018

FAQ: Determining trail capacity or level of service

by American Trails Staff

How many users can a paved trail support before it becomes too crowded or over used?


published Mar 2011

FAQ: How to measure the strength and growth of a trail network

by American Trails Staff

Measuring the benefits and economic development of trails.


posted Feb 19, 2018

If You Don't Count...

This session will present a number of different approaches to collecting data to develop estimates of the number of individuals using a trail system and the economic impact


published Jun 2015

Jackson Hole Pathways and Trails Survey Full Results

by Headwaters Economics

The purpose of the Jackson Hole Pathways and Trails Survey is to gather public feedback on Jackson Hole’s pathways and trails systems. The results of this first-of-its‐kind survey effort are intended to provide a documentation of pathways and trails usage, satisfaction, strengths, weaknesses, and suggestions for improvement. The information in this report provides solid information to help community decision-makers, stakeholder groups, and interested citizens plan for the future of Jackson Hole’s pathways and trails systems.


Oct 22, 2020

Make it Count: Collecting and Applying Trail Count Data

Learn from industry experts, advocates, and practitioners about how to collect and apply trail count data, and how to leverage that data in order to achieve meaningful, tangible changes in your community.