Visitor and Trail Management Skills and Competencies
Specific skills used in management of trails and greenways: facility management; urban trail and bike/ped management; visitor management.
by
American Trails Staff
photo credit: Stuart Macdonald
Clear signage is an important technique in trail management and reducing user conflicts
Skills for Natural Surface Trail Management
- Manage trails for a variety of uses and visitor experiences while meeting trail objectives
- Monitoring activities and their impacts on natural, historic, and cultural resources
- Managing off-highway vehicle routes and trails
- Managing use of on-snow routes for skiers, snowmobilers, and other winter activities
Skills for Management of Trail-related Facilities
- Identifying problem areas for drainage and water impacts
- Tracking use and potential problems at parking areas and trailheads
Skills for Urban Trail and Bike/Ped Facility Management
- Determining visitor satisfaction with materials and surfacing
- Surveying trail users and adjacent land uses for satisfaction and impacts
- Creating benchmarks and standards to assess trail use, condition, and potential problems
Skills for Visitor Management
- Identifying conflicts among users and concerns with various trail activities
- Using facilitation skills to lead meetings and resolve disputes
- Analyzing the economic and social impacts of trails on local and regional scales
- Developing policy and guidelines for events, commercial services, and permits
- Distributing information on trail conditions, permit requirements, and trip planning
- Developing Adopt-a-Trail programs for volunteers and clubs
Published December 2019
