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:

Steve

Steve Kruger

Trainer Nonprofit

Portland, Or

Steve has worked in parks and natural areas for nearly 20 years, around San Francisco, Milwaukee,…

Larry

Larry Lechner

Trainer Higher Education

Bellvue, Co

Member of Center for Protected Area Management and Training at Colorado State University,…

Wendy

Wendy Lotze

Trainer Nonprofit Higher Education

Tucson, Az

I manage the Volunteer program at the Arizona Trail Association, organizing over 20,000 hours of…

Amy

Amy Lutsko

Morris County Park Commission, NJ

Trainer Agency
Matt

Matt Malone

Nature Trails, LLC

Contractor Trainer
Allie

Allie Maloney

Contractor Trainer Nonprofit

Whitefish, Mt

Allie Maloney is the Coordinator for the Flathead Trails Association. Her experience includes trail…

Hire

Trail Workers with Trail Maintenance Experience

Lex

Lex Carey

Pulaski Users Group (PUG)

Nonprofit

Hailey, Id

With conservation corps, and USFS trail Crew experience under my belt I have shifted to the…

Jake

Jake Carsten

Contractor

Del Rio, Tx

Jake Carsten began his career in the bicycle industry in 2011, working on the IMBA-Subaru Trail…

Tess

Tess Charney

Delaware State Parks

Agency
Iman

Iman Chatila

Contractor

Edmonds, Wa

I am an outdoor professional with 4 years of experience working in the field. I have previously…

Aaron

Aaron Cholewa

Contractor

Severance, Co

Aaron Cholewa is an accomplished and dedicated trail builder with a profound passion for the…

Jeremiah

Jeremiah Clark

National Park Service

Agency

Kula, Hi

I have trail maintenance and construction experience through Timberline Trailcraft LLC as a Trail…

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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