Standard Trail Plans and Specifications

This section includes standard drawings for work items involved with diverting water from the trail, such as water bars, culverts, ditches, etc.

This section includes standard drawings for a wide variety of constructed trail structures, including switchbacks, turnpike, side barriers, puncheon, retaining walls, etc.

This section includes standard drawings for work items intended to control and manage trail access, including fences, gates, bollards, etc.

This section includes standard drawings for signs, route markers, reassurance markers, mileage markers, and cairns.

This section includes standard trail bridge plans for timber and prefabricated steel bridges.

Standard trail bridge plans for timber and prefabricated steel bridges have been approved by Forest Service Washington Office Director of Engineering and Washington Office Director of Recreation for use on National Forest System lands. The standard trail bridge plans are for typical superstructure designs and abutment details commonly used. The plans are not meant to be used as individual drawings. The designer should download all associated plans for the bridge type to ensure they have a complete trail bridge package.

A qualified engineer with trail bridge design experience must approve the use of these Standard Trail Bridge plans for each trail bridge project. Proper bridge siting and design includes many other aspects such as siting, hydrology, hydraulics, foundation, etc. Forest Service Trail Bridge design requirements are found in Forest Service Directives Forest Service Manual (FSM) 7723 and Forest Service Handbook (FSH) 7709.56b, Chapter 80 and in Technology and Development Center’s publication “Locating Your Trail Bridge for Longevity”.

On Forest Service projects, these plans may not be modified without Regional Engineer approval (except for populating the Structure Table on page 1 for each bridge type).

Non-Forest Service entities are welcome to use these trail bridge plans, but must take full responsibility for their use. We further recommend they seek review and approval from their qualified engineer of record for the project.

Trail Bridge Plans are provided below in a combination of editable AutoCAD .dwg and non-editable .dwf formats. Regional Bridge Engineers retain editable .dwg versions of the AutoCAD .dwf plans provided here.

This section does not include any standard drawings, but is reserved and used for the identification of specialty structures in project packages, such as tunnels, snow sheds, etc. Refer to Specifications Section 970 - Specialty Structures.

This section includes standard drawings for work items that are considered incidental to major work items, such as seeding, fertilizing and mulching, removal of structures, etc.

This section does not include any standard drawings, but includes material specifications used for work items included in project package. Examples include aggregate, rock, geosynthetics, material for timber structures, etc. Refer to Specifications Section 990 - Materials.