Trails and Greenways
Trails and greenways provide enjoyable and safe options for transportation, which helps to improve air quality. Additionally, greenways prevent soil erosion and filter pollution caused by agricultural and road runoff, protecting land along rivers and streams and helping to improve water quality. This area contains resources applicable to planning, development, and maintenance of trails, greenways, and natural buffer zones within our parks.
Recreational Trail Standards for HRTA-HRM Trails
HRTA, Recreational Trails Committee, 2019
Sample standards for non-motorized trail builders
Trails Handbook
California State Parks, 2019
This handbook describes the processes for planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and managing trails that will minimize impacts to park resources and maximize public recreation opportunities.
Designing Sidewalks and Trails for Access
US Department of Transportation, 1999
This report presents a number of factors that affect the accessibility of sidewalks andtrails in the United States are presented.
Light Pollution: The Solution Is Easy!
Theodore Roosevelt National Park, 2015
This video takes a look at park lighting, and demonstrates how it can be improved. It also shows some examples of how effective lighting is safer and saves money over traditional lighting fixtures.
Maintenance Practices and Costs of Rail-Trails
Rails to Trails Conservancy, 2015
This study presents a more comprehensive understanding of rail-trail maintenance, as has been done for other rail-trail issues such as construction costs, economic impact and rails-with-trails. Such an approach enables the rail-trail community to focus its limited resources more effectively on addressing the most critical issues.
Pennsylvania Trail Design & Development Principles
PA DCNR
Guidelines for Sustainable, Non-motorized Trails
COVID-19 Recommendations for Trailbuilding
Professional Trail Builders Association
To protect the health and safety of staff, while working to follow all public health guidelines, PTBA is issuing the following recommendations for all trailbuilders and partners who are continuing to operate.
Green Infrastructure Can Be Cheaper, More Effective than Dams
Scientific American
A new report advocates for governments to increase funding for projects like floodplain restoration
Top 10 List for Green / Sustainable Trails
PA DCNR
Suggested best practices in sustainable trail design
"DCNR's Top 10 Best ""Green/Sustainable"" Practices for Recreation and Conservation"
PA DCNR
By following these practices you will be able to develop sustainable sites that are practical, conserve resources and have a positive impact on the environment.
Building Sustainable Trails: Key Design Elements
Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
This article explains designing sustainable contour trails that reduce maintenance needs while providing a good experience for visitors.
Establishing Streamside Buffer Areas in Your Park or Community
Bushkill Stream Conservancy
This document outlines a step-by-step process for establishing “No-mow” areas and naturalized buffers.
Universal Access Trails and Shared Use Paths
Debra Wolf Goldstein, Esq. and Larry Knutson
This manual reviews Best Management Practices (“BMPs”) to utilize when planning, designing, constructing, and maintaining pedestrian trails for universal accessibility—for providing trails usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without separate or segregated access for people with disabilities.
Sustainable Trails: Doing it Right the First Time
John Favro
When you construct or reroute a trail, you are putting a structure on the landscape that will be there, in good or bad condition, for 100 years or more in most places. So why not do it right?
Gardening Advice - Pruning Spring Flowering Shrubs
RHS - Royal Horticultural Society
See how and when to prune your spring flowering shrubs to produce beautiful blooms next year.
