Recreational Trails Program - Publications

The list of publications and other resources found on this page has been compiled to help provide quick access to valuable trail references. You will find links to publications that provide insight into the planning and decisionmaking process common to building a successful recreational trails program that focuses on accessibility, safety, and good environmental practices.

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See also:

• Trail Publication Order Form

On this page:

• US Forest Service Trail Publications
• Trail Planning, Design, Construction, and Maintenance Guides
• Other Recommended Publications
• Recreational Trails Program and Project Information

U.S. Forest Service Trail Publications

The Federal Highway Administration is cooperating with the U.S. Forest Service to provide Forest Service publications and videos to the public. Please see the Trail Publications Order Form to order those publications and videos which are available in hard copy.

• Mechanized Trail Building Equipment Web site
  Designed to provide useful information about small mechanized equipment to trail designers, builders, and maintenance personnel.

• Technology & Development Program Trail Publications
  Available in HTML and PDF formats

• Technology & Development Program Recreation Publications
  Available in PDF format; some available in HTML format

• Trail Accessibility Guidelines

• Stabilized Engineered Wood Fiber for Accessible Trails

• Trail Bridge Catalog
  Log on and follow link to Pubs then to Recreation. This website is intended to help land managers and engineers select trail bridge types, decks, rail systems, abutment systems, and materials.

• National Trail Drawings and Specifications

Trail Planning, Design, Construction, and Maintenance Guides

• Manuals and Guides for Trail Design, Construction, Maintenance, and Operation, and for Signs
  This document lists many manuals and best practices guides and resources for trail planning, design, construction, maintenance, operation, and management (including for signs).

Accessibility

• Designing Sidewalks and Trails for Access
  A two-part report on pedestrian accessibility, produced for FHWA by Beneficial Designs Inc.

  • Part 1, Review of Existing Guidelines and Practices (HTML / PDF 30 MB), lays out the history and the practices of applying accessibility concepts to sidewalks and pedestrian trails. (Out of print, available online only)

  • Part 2, Best Practices Design Guide (HTML / PDF included in PDF of Part 1), provides recommendations on how to design sidewalks, street crossings, intersections, shared use paths, and recreational pedestrian trails. (Order here) See also Transmittal Memorandum, Detectable Warnings Memorandum (July 2004), Detectable Warnings Memorandum (May 2002), and Errata Sheet.

• Accessible Sidewalks and Street Crossings – an informational guide;
  Providing Accessible Sidewalks and Street Crossings Brochure
  These two related documents summarize the information found in Designing Sidewalks and Trails for Access. They focus on some of the emerging accessibility issues and design parameters that affect sidewalk and street crossing design and operation. To order, see http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/walk/order/index.htm.

• The Final Report of the Regulatory Negotiation Committee on Accessibility Guidelines for Outdoor Developed Areas
  Proposes accessibility guidelines under the Americans with Disabilities Act for trails, outdoor recreation access routes, beach access routes, and picnic and camping facilities.

• Public Rights-of-Way
  Recommends accessibility guidelines for sidewalks, street crossings, and intersections.

• ADA and ABA Accessibility Guidelines
  Accessibility guidelines for buildings.

Other Guides

• Characteristics of Emerging Road and Trail Users and their Safety
  Design professionals can use the results of this study to design roadway and shared-use path facilities to meet the operational and safety needs of this growing and diverse group of users.

• Conflicts on Multiple Use Trails
  A synthesis of research on trail conflicts, produced in 1994 for FHWA by Roger L. Moore, North Carolina State University. It has 12 principles to minimize trail conflict. (Out of print)

• Federal Surface Transportation Programs and Transportation Planning for Federal Land Management Agencies-A Guidebook
  The guidebook is designed to assist Federal land managers, staff, and partners in developing relationships and in maximizing participation in Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) surface transportation programs.

• FHWA Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Publications
  This webpage has resources for pedestrian and bicycle facility planning, design, construction, and operation; information on highway and street crossings; accessibility information; pedestrian and bicycle safety education; and pedestrian and bicycle best practices.

• National Trails Training Partnership
  Links to training opportunities.

• Rails with Trails: Lessons Learned, Literature Review, Current Practices, Conclusions
  A research report about trails located near railroad and transit rights-of-way.
  • FHWA Distribution Memorandum

• Recreational Horse Trails in Rural and Wildland Areas: Design, Construction, and Maintenance
  By Gene W. Wood, with major contributions from 16 contributing authors from around the nation. Available from Clemson University's Forestry and Natural Resources website at www.clemson.edu/forestres/. The order form is at www.clemson.edu/forestres/book_form.htm.

• Evaluation of Safety, Design, and Operation of Shared-Use Paths

• Shared-Use Path Level of Service Calculator

• Snowmobile Safety Resources
  From the International Association of Snowmobile Administrators and the American Council of Snowmobile Associations.

Other Recommended Publications

• A Citizen's Guide to Transportation Decisionmaking
  Explains how transportation projects are developed.

• Acquisition: Acquiring Real Property for Federal and Federal-aid Programs and Projects

• Office of Highway Safety Bicycle and Pedestrian Resources
  Order Copies of Brochures, CDs and Other Resources

• Pedestrian Safety Guide and Countermeasure Selection System
  This report provides information on 47 engineering countermeasures or treatments, along with education and enforcement programs, that may be implemented to improve pedestrian safety and mobility.

• Roadside Use of Native Plants
  Reference book on restoring and managing native plants.

• Trail-Building Toolbox
  A comprehensive resource center to fit the needs of all involved in trail development, from first-time citizen advocates to more experienced planners and trail managers.

• Trail Planning, Design, and Development Guidelines, from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
  The result of several years of research, this manual contains guidelines for creating both motorized and nonmotorized trails. This is a best practices guide for any local, county, regional, or State government agency or private organization.

Recreational Trails Program and Project Information

• Fuel Used for Off-Road Recreation: A Reassessment of the Fuel Use Model, July 1999
  A report for FHWA by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, provides estimates of the relative amount of off-road recreational fuel use by State. The model developed in this report provides the base for the apportionments under the Recreational Trails Program for FY 2000 - 2004.

• Recreational Trails Program Project Database
  This database of projects funded under the Recreational Trails Program has been compiled by the Coalition for Recreational Trails from reports supplied by State trail administrators.

• Recreational Trails Program: Report on State Trail Projects
  A report for FHWA by the Coalition for Recreational Trails, documents accomplishments of the Recreational Trails Program on projects from 1993 through September 2004.

• Recreational Trails Program: Report on State Trail Projects
  A report for FHWA by the Coalition for Recreational Trails, documents accomplishments of the Recreational Trails Program on projects from 1993 through September 2001.