Pennsylvania Trail Design & Development Principles
A compilation of best practices and guidelines for the planning, design, construction, and management of your trail employing sustainable design.
Trail Sustainability Principles
Skill Definition
Understand and apply principles of trail sustainability to all components of project planning and design
Entry Level Performance
- Demonstrate understanding of trail sustainability as it relates to physical durability, resource conservation, user expectations and experience, and ongoing management
- Demonstrate ability to read a contour map and interpret trail sustainability and control points (e.g.. identify fall-line trail, contour trail, stream crossings, etc)
Full Performance Level
- Assess and integrate local conditions and situations into the application of sustainability principles (i.e. drainage, sheet flow, slope, soil types, user type/skill levels, maintainability, local weather conditions, management and stewardship capacity)
Expert Level Performance
- Demonstrate the ability to evaluate complex and challenging trail sustainability contexts
- Demonstrate ability to articulate and communicate the compromises and tradeoffs between multiple sustainability issues and principles and inform challenging or controversial management actions
Resources for Trail Sustainability Principles
Documents and
Media
• Video Trainings
• Training Programs
• Calendar
Find Trainers •
Find Workers
Learn More
Documents and Media for Trail Sustainability Principles
Trail Construction and Maintenance Notebook
An updated edition of the industry standard, "Trail Construction and Maintenance Notebook," first released in 1996.
Introduction to Foundations of Sustainable Trails: A Trail from Start to Finish
A Trail from Start to Finish is an introductory, short "micro-learning" targeted to developing trail workers. Anticipated to take about 15 minutes to complete, this microlearning discusses what it means for a trail to be sustainable and describes…
Sustaining Wildlife With Recreation on Public Lands
A Synthesis of Research Findings, Management Practices, and Research Needs
The Art of Sustainable Trail Management
Learn the basics of developing and managing natural surface, share-used trail systems.The webinar is geared primarily towards beginning and intermediate level trailbuilders: including volunteers, agency staff, and professional trail crews.
Basic Trail Maintenance
Missoula Technology Development Center. Learn the basics of trail maintenance and how to select the right tool for each task.
Trail Skills Training Library
Recorded Trainings for Trail Sustainability Principles
IMBA’s Trail Development Process: Building Community-Driven Trails
International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) experts will guide you through an overview of the seven critical steps of the Trail Development Process, from initial access and community engagement to long-term stewardship.
Data-Driven Decision Support for Sustainable Trail Planning and Management
This webinar will showcase an online application to support collaborative decision-making and data-driven evaluation of multiple dimensions of trail sustainability.
The Science of Sustainable Trail Design and Management
This webinar will describe the three most common forms of trail impact, identify the most influential factors to develop and maintain sustainable trail networks, and discuss methods for rating trail sustainability.
Current and Future Trends in Equestrian Trails
Sponsored by Tennessee Valley Authority. This equestrian forum offers an excellent format and opportunity to interact with panel experts and learn more about trending equestrian trails topics today and looking forward to the future.
Innovative Approaches for Sustainable Trails: Crawford Path Case Study
This webinar will discuss new, innovative approaches for a more sustainable future on trails.
Designing Near Wetlands, Streams, Forests, and Other Environmental Resources
This presentation discusses the seven biggest considerations for planners and designers when designing near wetlands, streams, forests, and other environmental resources.
Further Education
Training Programs for Trail Sustainability Principles
Jacksonville State University - Trail Science Institute (TSI)
The TSI focuses on the promotion of recreational trails, primarily in the State of Alabama, by providing educational experiences and providing services such as assessment, monitoring, management, planning, and construction. The TSI defines trails as…
The Harbinger Consultancy Timeline Institute Online Courses
The Harbinger Consultancy's Timeline Institute Online Courses combine instruction, coaching, group learning and step-by-step templates based on 30+ years of working with communities, regions and supporting organizations. They offer you guided access…
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…
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…
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
Training Calendar
Upcoming Trainings for Trail Sustainability Principles
Custom Trainings
There are 50 trainers on TrailSkills
with Trail Sustainability Principles experience
Derek Buckridge
Shawnee, KS
Construction Supervisor/Singletrack Manager
Johnson County Park and Recreation District, KS
Justin Poehnelt
Durango, CO
Richard Edwards
Morgantown, WV
Assistant Director of Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure
West Virginia University
Hire Workers
There are 216 workers on TrailSkills
with Trail Sustainability Principles experience
Abigail Devlin
Leesburg, VA
Trails Program Coordinator
Loudoun County Parks, Recreation and Community Services
Suggest a Resource
Contact Us
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.
Let us knowTrail Skills Collaborators
