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Trail Design Skills and Competencies

Specific skills used in trails and greenways work: layout of trails; design for different trail activities; types of trails.

by American Trails Staff

Skills for Natural Surface Trail Design

• Basic trail design
• Sustainable trail design
• Layout of trails, design for different trail activites,
• Assessing soils, geology, slope, and vegetation of trail corridor
• Tying routes together into a trail system
• Design for shared-use trails
• Design for off-highway vehicle use
• Design of off-highway vehicle parks and use areas

Skills for Trail-related Facility Design

• Designing elements for drainage and water control

Skills for Accessible Trail Design

• Using universal design guidelines to design and lay out (or retrofit) accessible trails and trail facilities
• Identifying varieties of users including families and the elderly as well as the disabled

Skills for Urban Trail and Bike/Ped Facility Design

• Basic urban trail design
• Design of intermodal bicycle/pedestrian facilities

Skills for Trailhead Facility Design

• Laying out parking and unloading areas
• Designing signs and information structures
• Designing related facility placement

Skills for Design of Structures

• Trail bridge types, selection and design
• Boardwalk materials and design
• Restrooms for trail use

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