August 2020

American Trails is Sharpening Our Focus Over the last two years American Trails has worked with Active Strategies to find out how we can best serve the trail community. These are the results.  Read more...

Interview with Greg Harris of the Missouri Rock Island Trail In 2019 the Rock Island Trail got a huge boost when a 144-mile corridor was donated to expand the trail. Read more...

National Recreation Trail Highlight: Mud Pond Trail The Mud Pond Trail is located on the Pondicherry Division of the Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuge and is universally accessible. It includes a 900-foot long raised boardwalk with rest stops that offer extraordinary views. Read more...

These are Your Trail Shoe Recommendations! Thank you to everyone who shared their gear recommendations with us! Here are the best trail shoes according to our readers. Read more...

Keeping Trails in Good Condition  During COVID-19 trails are being used more than ever, leading to some trails being overrun with litter, graffiti, and general misuse. Our resource page on "Trash on Trails" has tips for keeping trails clean. Additionally, check out our gallery of signs and resources to encourage proper trail stewardship. Read more...

Trail News and Notes Click on each article to read more (International) Happy Trails: Horseback Ride a Real Pleasure (International) In the Alps, Hikers on the Trails and Cows in the Pasture Make for Perilous Pairings (International) Meet the Women Making the Outdoors More Accessible to All (National) Don’t Blame Social Media for Illegal Hiking, Researchers Say (National) Mountain Climbers Push to Change ‘Super-Insensitive’ Racist Trail Names (National) Once Upon a Trail: Building Boon (Arizona) If You Want to Hike Where the People Aren't, Try This Trail South of Flagstaff (Arizona) Phoenix Piestewa Peak Trailhead Project Earns Natural Resources Award (Georgia) Across Atlanta, BeltLine and PATH Trail Progress Continues Despite Pandemic (Indiana) Evansville Man's Wabash Journey More than Just Paddling (Ohio) Tuscarawas River Designated as Ohio’s 15th State Water Trail

Resources and Training 2021 Trails and Outdoor Recreation Summit (TORS) Update: New Fall 2021 Dates With COVID-19 still being very much on the forefront in so many countries, including the United States, we have decided to push back the 2021 Trails and Outdoor Recreation Summit (TORS) to the Fall of 2021 (from the originally scheduled Spring dates of May 2021). The new 2021 TORS dates will be September 13-17, 2021. Read more… FAQ: Examples of Trail Development Ordinances A few resources on public access to private land. Always check with your local planning department for zoning requirements. Read more… Chain Saw and Crosscut Saw Training Course The Chain Saw and Crosscut Saw Training Course is a 16- to 32-hour course for basic to intermediate chain saw and crosscut saw users. Read more... Unpaved Non-Motorized Trail Guidelines Trails should provide for a variety of trail distances, loops, ecosystems, scenery and degrees of difficulty. As trail professionals, we should strive to make the best possible experience for users and learn from the past. Read more... Training Calendar and Volunteer Opportunities Check out our training calendar for upcoming conferences and events. You can also find volunteer opportunities here. If you have an opportunity for us to post, please email trailhead@americantrails.org.

Trail Marking Handbook Survey The answers to these questions will be used to create a commonsense trail marking handbook for the people building and planning trails. Learn more...

Seeking Learning Credits? American Trails offers learning credits for our Advancing Trails Webinar Series, our International Trails Symposium and Training Institute, and other trail-related conferences, workshops, and webinars. Learn more...

Featured Trail Industry Manufacturer: das Manufacturing, Inc. Durable, fade resistant, low profile and ADA compliant, das Trail Markers can be permanently applied to concrete or asphalt with das adhesive. The markers are an unobtrusive yet highly visible method of placing information and features directly on a path or trail. Learn more about this company… Featured Trail Job: Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, Inc. Conservation Coordinator Serve as lead and coordinate efforts of the Lehigh Valley Greenways (LVG) Conservation Landscape Partnership. Learn more here...

Advancing Trails Webinar Series

August Webinar Line-Up (all FREE to the public!) Check out our webinars taking place this month. All of the webinars are free, are recorded, include a closed caption transcript, and offer learning credits. Register or download a recording today… August 6 – Trail Analytics and Data Storytelling August 20 – Trail Development: Considerations for Adaptive Mountain Biking August 27 – Balancing Recreational Area Use with Homelessness and Vagrancy   Sponsor an American Trails Webinar to Reach 400-600 Attendees For a special rate of $2,000 if you mention this ad, sponsor an American Trails webinar to make it FREE to the public! There are only a few webinars up for grabs for our weekly webinar series through the remainder of 2020. Email candace@americantrails.org to become a sponsor today. 2020 Webinars Available for Sponsorship: September 17 – Making Connections: The National Digital Trails Network Project October 29 – Perceptions of Conflict Surrounding Future E-Bike Use November 5 – Technology in Trail Building or Planning: Drones and LiDAR December 10 – Wheels and Legs: How Well Do They Mix? Addressing Nonmotorized Trail User Conflicts Other Ideas? – We have a couple openings and would love your ideas for a webinar!

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