Trail Maintenance

Trail Maintenance Skills Include:

    Maintenance Specifications

    Understand and apply common maintenance specifications/trail management objectives such as corridor height/width, tread width, cross/outslope, protrusions, obstacles, and water management techniques.

    Inventory & Assessment

    Demonstrate ability to assess trail conditions, identify causes of trail degradation (i.e. water, grades, soil conditions, users, and/or use patterns), and appropriate actions to address the deficiencies.

    Corridor Clearing: Power tools

    Safely use chainsaws and other power tools in trail development and maintenance and resource management.

    Corridor clearing: Hand Tools

    Use hand tools to safely remove small standing trees, hazard trees, fallen logs, brush, vegetation, rocks, or other impediments to trail tread construction to the specified trail corridor width and height.

    Tread Maintenance - Hand tools

    Restore trail to its designed specifications for tread width, cross/outslope, protrusions, and obstacles using hand tools.

    Tread Maintenance - Mechanized Equipment

    Mechanized Equipment. Restore trail to its designed specifications for tread width, cross/outslope, protrusions, and obstacles using mechanized equipment (e.g., compactors, mini-excavator, skid steer, trail dozer).

    Drainage Features/Water Management

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


Learn More

Resources for Trail Maintenance

Improve this skill

Upcoming trainings for Trail Maintenance

AZT Trail Skills Institute - Module 5: New Trail Construction
Arizona Trail Association
Arizona Trail Association
AZT Trail Skills Institute - Module 5: New Trail Construction

September 30 - October 01, 2023

Flagstaff, Arizona

A OR B Bucking and Limbing Chainsaw Training at Camp Dodge Training Center
Appalachian Mountain Club
Appalachian Mountain Club
AZT Trail Skills Institute - Module 3 Trail Structures (Rock Work)
Arizona Trail Association
Arizona Trail Association
The Third Mode: Bonus Chapters
American Trails
American Trails
2024 Sustainable Trails Conference
Professional TrailBuilders Association
Professional TrailBuilders Association
2024 Sustainable Trails Conference

March 19 - 21, 2024

Georgia

Custom Trainings

Here's a list of Trainers with Trail Maintenance experience:

steve@roguetrails.com

Access Fund

Contractor Trainer Agency Corps Nonprofit Higher Education
Erin

Erin Amadon

Town 4 Trail Services LLC

Contractor Trainer

Troy, Me

Erin Amadon's passion for trail work began over two decades ago when she first served as a member…

Ben

Ben Appleby

Linear Active LLC

Contractor Trainer

Zanesville, Oh

I am the founder and owner of Linear Active LLC. I started the business in 2012 after completing my…

Jim

Jim Bedwell

Contractor Trainer

Golden, Co

Thirty-eight years of experience in the US Forest Service in landscape architecture, recreation…

Willie

Willie Bittner

Great Lakes Trailbuilders, LLC

Contractor Trainer Higher Education

La Crosse , Wi

Willie Bittner started working on trails 25 years ago with the Wisconsin DNR and over the years he…

Conor

Conor Boynton-Orr

Contractor Trainer Corps

Walsenburg, Co

I am the director of the Huerfano Youth Conservation Corps and I work as an instructor of Trail…

Hire

Trail Workers with Trail Maintenance Experience

steve@roguetrails.com

Access Fund

Contractor Trainer Agency Corps Nonprofit Higher Education
Matt

Matt Able

USDA Forest Service

Agency
Erin

Erin Amadon

Town 4 Trail Services LLC

Contractor Trainer

Troy, Me

Erin Amadon's passion for trail work began over two decades ago when she first served as a member…

Heide

Heide Andersen

Agency

Winthrop, Wa

I am a Recreation Planner for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. I am responsible for…

Emmy

Emmy Andrews

Central Oregon Trail Alliance (COTA)

Nonprofit

Bend, Or

Emmy Andrews is the Executive Director of the Central Oregon Trail Alliance (COTA). In this role…

Ben

Ben Appleby

Linear Active LLC

Contractor Trainer

Zanesville, Oh

I am the founder and owner of Linear Active LLC. I started the business in 2012 after completing my…

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Collaborators
Federal Highway Administration USDA Forest Service National Park Service Bureau of Land Management
American Trails Professional TrailBuilders Association Partnership for the National Trails System Northern Vermont University Northwest Arkansas Community College Eppley Institute Corps Network