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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

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 30, 2019

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