Sustainable Trail Bridge Design
Designing trail bridges based on trail-specific Trail Management Objectives (TMOs) is essential for providing the desired trail experience, for ensuring user safety, and for maximizing bridge longevity.
Trail Plan Development
Skill Definition
Transfer field-delineated trail design (location, alignment, structures), along with construction process, materials, notes, and special conditions into a trail planning document that will guide the trail development process
Entry Level Performance
- Demonstrate understanding of the elements (field-delineated trail design, construction process, materials, notes, special conditions) and purpose of the trail planning and design document
Full Performance Level
- Compile planning process, findings and recommendations
- Create/furnish supporting maps, GIS data, and other materials to accompany written report
- Explain process/findings and recommendations to diverse stakeholders
Expert Level Performance
- Draft, share, and revise a a trail plan document that includes items needed for trail development: background documentation and data; detailed trail design spatial data; trail specifications; cost estimations and sub-project/phase prioritization; implementation schedules and strategies
- When needed, develop construction documentation that builds on the trail plan with additional specifications, spatial data, and construction process notes for permit submittal and/or the contracting process
Resources for Trail Plan Development:
Documents and Media
• Video Trainings
• Training Programs
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Documents and Media for Trail Plan Development
USFS Standard Trail Plans and Specifications
The Standard Trail Plans and Specifications reflect current Forest Service trail management efforts and the agency’s Trails Data Dictionary for constructed features and tasks.
Trail Planning, Design & Development Guidelines
This 300-page spiral-bound publication, several years in the making, provides a first-ever comprehensive "how-to" guidebook for developing all types of recreational trails.
North Country Trail Handbook
The North Country National Scenic Trail (NST) extends for thousands of miles across seven states. Its layout, design, construction, and maintenance require the participation of a myriad of individuals and groups.
Equestrian Design Guidebook for Trails, Trailheads, and Campgrounds
This guidebook provides practical guidelines for developing recreation environments that are sensitive to the needs of riders and their stock.
Trail Skills Training Library
Recorded Trainings for Trail Plan Development
The Third Mode: Connecting Greenways, Trails and Active Mobility
his webinar covers the latest issues and policies in planning and designing urban mobility networks, and how to integrate transportation with greenways and trails to create seamless metro-wide systems.
Trail Planning and Design: Foundations of Success
This webinar will review several common approaches and technologies for trail planning and design projects and provide attendees with real world examples.
Digital Transformation of Trail Management and Monitoring
Mike Linnane of Evolve Technologies and award-winning Trail Manager Eoin Hogan will present on the development path of the world’s first integrated digital trail management system. The webinar will outline the evolution from a paper-based trail…
Porous Flexible Pavement, Asphalt, or Porous Asphalt: Lessons Learned for Multi-Use Trails in the District of Columbia
This webinar will discuss the various types of materials used for paved, multi-use trails in the District of Columbia. We will discuss different projects where we used flexi-pave, asphalt, or porous asphalt and our experience with each material. How…
Informing the Trail Experience: The Process of Signing a Trail
The webinar emphasizes learning about the trail and to determine what needs to be communicated, and where information is best posted.
Wilderness Trails: Special Places, Special Considerations.
This webinar will provide some basic information on trails in federally-designated Wilderness, examples of practical experiences, and resources to learn more. Presented by: Pete Irvine, retired, USDA Forest Service Dan Abbe, Wilderness Specialist,…
Further Education
Training Programs for Trail Plan Development
Trail Sustainability Institute
The Trail Sustainability Institute (TSI) is NWTA’s internal training classes for everything related to trail building. We want to make sure our trail builders are knowledgeable in not only how to build/maintain fun trails, but ensure those trails…
IMBA Trail Solutions Advanced Trail Building School
Partner with IMBA Trail Solutions and create with confidence. By deploying a complete range of skills–including visioning, detailed design, professional construction, and training for stewardship–our comprehensive approach saves resources.
Trails Certificate
Gain insight into best practices related to the design, construction and maintenance of trails. Learn about and apply techniques that can enhance, rehabilitate and protect trails and greenways. Participants will also learn about trail…
Sustainable Trails Development
The Sustainable Trails curriculum welcomes students from various fields who are interested in trails development, programming and management, as well as design.
PCTA Trail Skills Course
Because wildfires, wind storms, floods, gravity, and vegetation growth are constant threats to the PCT, the annual maintenance and reconstruction of the trail is a never-ending and monumental undertaking. Such work, historically carried out by…
Advancing Trails Webinar Series
American Trails brings agencies, trail builders, planners, architects, advocates, and volunteers the latest in state-of-the-art information on all aspects of trails and greenways. Our webinars focus on a variety of trail topics, usually applicable…
Skill Library
Project Planning and Design
Trail Sustainability Principles
Define Purpose, Need, and Feasibility of Project
Stakeholder Engagement
Land Use Plan Alignment
Corridor Planning
Trail Specifications
Conceptual Trail Plan Development
Field Design: Trail Alignment Identification and Marking
Project Cost Estimation
Trail Plan Development
Compliance and Permitting
Implementation Plan
Interpretation
Trail Inventory and Assessment
Operations and Maintenance Plan Development
Custom Trainings
There are 58 trainers on TrailSkills
with Trail Plan Development experience
Hire Workers
There are 198 workers on TrailSkills
with Trail Plan Development experience
Leanna Joyner
Asheville, NC
Senior Director for Partnerships and Trail Operations
Appalachian Trail Conservancy
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Know of a good resource for this skill? Let us know! From webinars, to workshops, to PDFs, we'd like to add them to our resource library.
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