
filed under: user management
Link to Arizona State Parks & Trails
Understanding Shared-Use Trail Etiquette can make Hiking, Biking, and Riding Trails More Enjoyable for Everyone
by Arizona State Parks and Trails, State Trails Coordinator
If you’re headed out on one of Arizona State Parks and Trails many shared-use trails, it’s important that you understand trail etiquette — and share your knowledge with others. Good trail management combined with user education means a better time for everyone who uses Arizona’s trails. Not all trails are shared use; some are only for hikers, for example, but when you head out, please practice these principles. If you’re taking a first-timer out, whether it’s hiking, mountain biking, or horseback riding, it’s your responsibility to teach them. Someone educated you, so please pass it on.
Published May 2018
TRAILS SAFE PASSING PLAN: STOP, SPEAK, and STAND BACK
Horses are prey animals and naturally can be afraid of unfamiliar people and objects. Horses have natural "flight“ survival instincts and prefer to move their feet towards an exit route. Therefore, people with horses should pass at a walk while other trail users remain STOPPED until passed.
ORV – Social & Management Issues
Off-road vehicles can have a substantial impact on the experience of other non-motorized visitors on trails that are shared or even on adjacent forest or park settings.
This research investigated the influence of several use-related, environmental, and managerial factors on soil loss on recreational trails and roads at Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, a unit of the U.S. National Park Service.
All-Terrain Vehicle Sustainability Assessments
The sustainable management of ATV use is an expensive proposition requiring careful design, construction, and maintenance of ATV trails.