Trail Maintenance Skills Include:

Trail Sustainability Principles

Understand and apply principles of trail sustainability to all components of trail maintenance

Safety/Site Management

Plan and manage the trail maintenance site to meet safety and resource protection goals and requirements

Maintenance Specifications

Understand and apply common maintenance specifications, including corridor height/width, tread width, cross/outslope, protrusions, obstacles, and water management techniques

Corridor Clearing/Site Preparation

Clear the corridor and prepare the site (brushing, logging out, hazard tree removal, rock/stump removal) in preparation for maintenance using proper pruning techniques

Corridor Clearing: Pruning/ Side-Cutting/ Brushing

Use pruning and brushing techniques to maximize safety, minimize visual impacts and support healthy trailside vegetation

Corridor Clearing: Bucking, Felling/ Hazard Tree Removal; Chainsaw/ Crosscut

Felling, brushing, bucking and limbing logs of various sizes safely using proper, well-maintained equipment

Corridor Clearing: Material and Debris Management

Materials and debris removal from corridor using low impact techniques, according to project and resource protection requirements

Tread Maintenance - Hand tools

Using hand tools, maintain a trail to its designed specifications for tread width, cross/outslope, protrusions, and obstacles using hand tools and minimizes off trail impacts

Tread Maintenance - Mechanized Equipment

Safely use mechanized trail equipment (e.g., mini-excavators, skid steers, trail dozers, compactors) to maintain trail to meet maintenance specifications for tread width, cross/outslope, protrusions and obstacles and minimizes off trail impacts

Drainage Features/Water Management

Construct/restore trail drainage features that decrease erosion and increase sheet flow, including knicks, grade reversals, rolling grade dips, berms, ditches, and sheet drains

Learn More

Documents and Media for Trail Maintenance

Trail Skills College Course Curriculum

To help our volunteers succeed in their trail work, PCTA collaborated with many partners to develop a Trail Skills College curriculum.

Appalachian Trail Design, Construction, and Maintenance

A handbook on trail work, from landscape values to the nitty-gritty of moving rock.

Great Trails: Providing Quality OHV Trails and Experiences Guidebook

The definitive guide for the planning, designing, constructing, managing and maintaining Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) trails.

Pennsylvania Trail Design & Development Principles

A compilation of best practices and guidelines for the planning, design, construction, and management of your trail employing sustainable design.

Bike Parks: IMBA's Guide to New School Trails

This book examines all phases of planning, designing, building, and operating these facilities, with real-world success stories and multiple essays provided by leaders in the field.

Lightly on the Land

In addition to conservation crew leadership and risk management, Lightly on the Land presents the nuts and bolts of trail construction and maintenance.

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Trail Skills Training Library

Recorded Trainings for Trail Maintenance

Trailblazers Wanted: Intensive Training for Tomorrow’s Trail Technicians

Whether you’re an aspiring trail technician or an organization looking to develop your team, this webinar will show you how to find the right training to suit your needs—and start blazing trails like a pro.

International Standardization of Trail and Route Ratings for More Accessible Off-Road Cycling

This webinar introduces the International Trail Rating System (ITRS) methodology and its practical applications for non-motorized, multi-use and bike only trails as well as routes on both natural and paved surfaces, from urban greenways to remote…

IMBA’s Trail Development Process: Building Community-Driven Trails

International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) experts will guide you through an overview of the seven critical steps of the Trail Development Process, from initial access and community engagement to long-term stewardship.

Installation Excellence for Trail Aggregate: Tips, Tricks, and Common Pitfalls

Deliver actionable insights on installation best practices that reduce long-term maintenance and boost user satisfaction. Trail uses include both pedestrian and vehicular pathways in rural and urban settings.

Vegetation Design for Trailbuilders: Controlling Erosion and Creating Habitat with Minimal Horticulture Experience and Resources

With the increasing public demand for native plants and a push to find alternatives, learn from one landscape architect’s experience developing prairies in a variety of environments.

Sustainable Equestrian Trails From Grant Funding to Project Success

This webinar aims to introduce you to the fundamentals of managing a sustainable horse farm. This is part two of a two-part series related to sustainability.

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Further Education

Training Programs for Trail Maintenance

Trail Technician 1 Exam

The Trail Technician multiple-choice exam evaluates foundational knowledge in trail development, aligned with the progression from entry-level to full Trail Competency standards.

Trail Fundamentals Video Series

The Professional TrailBuilders Association (PTBA) has launched the development of the Trail Fundamentals Video Series—a free, entry-level educational resource designed to support sustainable trail development and trail trainings worldwide.

IMBA Trail Management Schools

This school is typically two days in length with IMBA instructor(s) traveling to your location to deliver the class to staff or members. Instructors arrive the day before to assess the site and do any necessary preparations. Organizations, clubs, or…

IMBA Trail Care Schools

Trail Care Schools equip volunteers and organizations with the skills necessary to maintain modern mountain bike trails in partnership with the local land management. This course will begin with sustainable trail design principles, such as drainage…

Sustainable Trail Building One Year Certificate Program

In this one-year certificate program, you’ll have boots-on-the-ground at Northwoods Stewardship Center in East Charleston, VT for three individual week-long intensive classes. You will grow your knowledge base and connect with trail building…

Trail Academy

Trail Academy is our free class series that teaches students how to tackle any trail-related challenge. Courses are hosted both in the field and online, and are a great starting point for anyone looking to become a certified Trail Crew Leader or…

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