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.


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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:

Jacob

Jacob Hyde

Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship

Contractor Trainer Nonprofit
Scott

Scott Johnson

USDA Forest Service

Trainer Agency

Forest Grove, Or

Trail builder with the Forest Service for over 15 years. Have worked on a mobile trail crew for all…

Leanna

Leanna Joyner

Appalachian Trail Conservancy

Trainer Nonprofit

Asheville, Nc

Leanna currently leads the development of systems, services, and protocols to support Appalachian…

Mariah

Mariah Keagy

Sinuosity

Contractor Trainer

Morristown, Vt

Mariah Keagy began her career in trail construction and reconstruction in the Green Mountains…

Don

Don Kelly

USDA Forest Service

Trainer Agency

Marion, Va

I have over 32 years of experience performing conservation, trails, and construction related…

Larry

Larry Knutson

Penn Trails LLC

Contractor Trainer

Newville, Pa

Larry Knutson, is founder and President of Penn Trails LLC. A cloud based company for 16 years, we…

Hire

Trail Workers with Trail Maintenance Experience

Alex

Alex Bradley

Connecticut Forest and Park Association (CFPA)

Trainer Corps Nonprofit
Daniel

Daniel Briceño

San Diego Mountain Biking Association

Contractor Trainer Nonprofit
Nathaniel

Nathaniel Brodie

USDA Forest Service

Agency

Hood River, Or

Twenty-four ongoing years of professional experience working and managing iconic and high-use trail…

Eddie

Eddie Bruce

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Agency

Ocala, Fl

Work in the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of recreational opportunities that…

Robert

Robert Burgess

Contractor

Spanish Fort, Al

Experienced Contractor and retired military. Heavily involved in trail building through local IMBA…

Betsy

Betsy Byrne

National Park Service

Agency

Salt Lake City, Ut

I am a landscape architect with the National Park Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation…

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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