Entry Level Performance

• Demonstrate understanding of trail objectives and general desired conditions for the trail/trail system.

Full Performance Level

• Identify strategies for determining the characteristics, expectations and demands of trail visitors
• Implement visitor use management strategies that align with trail objectives and desired conditions.
• Analyze visitor use data to recommend alternative management strategies when necessary

Expert Level Performance

• Create and implement a plan that details long-term strategies for providing access, connecting visitors to key visitor experiences, protecting resources, and managing visitor use.
• Assess the regional trail opportunities for a range of visitor experiences and recommend or decide on management approaches aligned with trail/trail system desired conditions to ensure a diversity of experiences and ability levels across the landscape
• Evaluate and adapt trail management policies and procedures to long-term use trends and changes in user behavior

Learn More

Documents and Media for Visitor Use Management

Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan Comparison Report

The Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) process was established in the 1960s as a tool to guide the development and management of outdoor recreation resources by state to receive funding under the Land and Water Conservation Fund…

Visitor Use Management Fact Sheet

Land and water managers from across the United States and Canada have similar goals: Providing high-quality outdoor recreation experiences and protecting natural and cultural resources as visitor use increases and public expectations change.…

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Trail Skills Training Library

Recorded Trainings for Visitor Use Management

Making the Case for Tourism-Oriented Mountain Bike and Adaptive Recreation

This presentation provides an overview of an economic impact analysis for an accessible tourism-oriented mountain bike trail network in Tennessee’s State Park system.

Nonprofit + Trail App Partnerships: Creating a Unified User-Friendly Trail Map

Attendees will learn how Piedmont Land Conservancy is bridging the gap by teaming up with the AllTrails Public Lands Program to create a unified and user-friendly trail map in North Carolina.

OpenStreetMap Trail Mapping for Responsible Recreation

This webinar will dive into the technical side of the Trails Stewardship Initiative and will teach you about the easy-to-use tools you can use to keep your trails up-to-date in popular recreation apps.

Trail Towns: Cultivating Community through Hiking

Beyond the economic impact of hikers spending money in the communities, what benefit do trail towns receive from trails? Whether you're a community leader, trail advocate, or simply interested in the dynamic relationship between trails and towns,…

Geotourism Workshop: Put the Locally Driven Destination Development, Stewardship and Marketing Approach to Work for Your Community

Learn how to put Geotourism to work for your community. Introduced more than 20 years ago through National Geographic, this community-led approach has been used by destinations around the world to guide development, catalyze locally driven…

Do-It-Yourself Trail User Research You Can Start Right Away

In this course, you will learn how to pull together—and pull off—a meaningful trail study that you can afford. You’ll emerge with a plan for a trail study that you can implement right away, whether you have money or not, using targeted volunteer…

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Further Education

Training Programs for Visitor Use Management

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.

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…

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