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:

Jennifer

Jennifer Medina-Gray

Trainer Agency Corps
Caelan

Caelan Parker

USDA Forest Service

Trainer Agency

Mccall, Id

I am an early-career trails professional with the Forest Service. I have seven Agency field seasons…

Mike

Mike Passo

American Trails

Contractor Trainer Nonprofit

Bellingham, Wa

Mike Passo is the Executive Director of American Trails. Mike has also served as the Executive…

Jerome

Jerome Pelland

Sentiers Boréals, Inc.

Contractor Trainer
Jay

Jay Post

Trainer Higher Education

Russellville, Ar

I coordinate and teach the Trail Management Certificate Program at Arkansas Tech University. Plus,…

Mike

Mike Riter

Trail Design Specialists (Georgia)

Contractor Trainer

Danielsville, Ga

We are a full service trail company. Our services include trail design, construction and…

Hire

Trail Workers with Trail Maintenance Experience

Deno

Deno Contos

Contractor Trainer

Greenville, Sc

Benchmark Trails is a full service trail design, layout and construction firm with over 20 years of…

Dave

Dave Coyner

Quality Asphalt Services

Contractor

Indianola, Ut

I have been involved in heavy construction the last 36 years. The last 17 years we have specialized…

Amanda

Amanda Crothers

Portland Parks and Recreation

Agency

Washougal, Wa

I am an earth systems thinker using my background in geology to construct sustainable and…

Stephen

Stephen Crowe

Appalachian Mountain Club

Contractor Trainer Nonprofit

Cherry Valley, Ma

Recruit, train and oversee volunteers to construct rock structures to harden treadway and maintain…

Andy

Andy Crowley

Contractor Trainer

Ashland, Nh

Conservation Trail Services LLC. Working with private, non-profit, and…

Walt

Walt Daniels

New York - New Jersey Trail Conference

Trainer Nonprofit

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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