Trail Construction and
Maintenance Notebook
2000 Edition

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

• Metrication
• The Job of the Trail Crew
• Setting Priorities
• Trail Planning and Design
• Trail Specifications
• Light on the Land
• Trail Layout

Natural Forces at Work

• Dirt, Water, and Gravity
• Critter Effects

Trail Corridor

• Clearing and Brushing
• Removing Trees

Trail Foundation

• The Trailbed
• Constructing Sidehill Trails
• Backslope
• Fillslope
• Borrow Pits

Tread

• Tread Surface
• Tread Creep
• Slough and Berm
• Tread Maintenance
• Removing Roots and Stumps
• Rock Removal

Surface Water Control

• Grade Dips
• Waterbars
• Maintaining the Drain
• Ponding

Trails in Wet Areas

• Improving Drainage
• Geosynthetics
• Turnpikes
• Causeways
• Puncheon
• Subsurface Puncheon

Crossing Streams and Rivers

• Shallow Stream Fords
• Bridges

Special Structures

• Climbing Turns
• Switchbacks
• Crib Walls and Other Retaining Structures
• Steps
• Maintaining Special Structures

Signing

• Installing Signs
• Installing Reassurance Markers
• Sign and Marker Maintenance

Naturalizing Abandoned Trails

• Check Dams
• Revegetation

Tools

• Tools for Measuring
• Tools for Sawing
• Tools for Chopping
• Tools for Grubbing
• Tools for Digging and Tamping
• Tools for Brushing
• Tools for Pounding and Hammering
• Tools for Lifting and Hauling
• Tools for Peeling and Shaping
• Tools for Sharpening

Appendix

• Selected Trail Construction and Maintenance References

Metric Conversions

• Converting U.S. Units to Metric
• Converting Metric Units to U.S.

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