DCR Trails Guidelines and Best Practices Manual Updated October, 2014
Department of
Conservation and Recreation
Trails Guidelines and Best Practices
Manual
The Metacomet-Monadnock trail to Mt. Norwottock
The health and happiness of people across Massachusetts depend on the
accessibility and quality of our green infrastructure - our natural resources,
recreational facilities, and great historic landscapes. The Department of
Conservation and Recreation (DCR) provides vital connections between
people and the environment with over 4,000 miles of trails and 150 miles of
paved bikeways and rail trails. Consistent and clearly defined trail policies,
procedures, and program guidelines can provide inspiration and direction for
managing, enhancing, and developing a successful and sustainable trail
system for Massachusetts.
DCR Trails Guidelines and Best Practices Manual Updated October, 2014
Table of Contents
Page
Implementation Schedule ....................................................................................... iii
Definitions .............................................................................................................. iv
Section I: Introduction .................................................................................................... 2
Trail Policy and Program Mission ............................................................................. 2
Importance of Trails ................................................................................................ 2
Striving for Sustainable Trails .................................................................................. 2
Promoting Stewardship ........................................................................................... 3
Past Trail Practices with the Agency ........................................................................ 4
Consistency with other plans and regulations ......................................................... 4
Trends in Recreational Trail Demand and Uses ........................................................ 9
Trail Regulations ...................................................................................................... 9
DCR Approved Trail Uses ......................................................................................... 9
Additional Types of Trails....................................................................................... 10
DCR Trail Team ...................................................................................................... 11
Section II: Trail System Planning and Development ................................. 122
Assessing and Planning an Existing Trail System .................................................. 12
Assessing Requests for New Trails or Changes in Trail Designation ...................... 15
Additional Trail Development Concepts ................................................................. 16
Principles of Ecologically Sustainable Trails........................................................... 18
Building Sustainable Trails .................................................................................... 22
Building an Enjoyable Trail Experience .................................................................. 24
Building Accessible Trails ...................................................................................... 27
Permitting .............................................................................................................. 29
On the Ground; Putting It Together ....................................................................... 31
Trail Design and Construction Resources ............................................................... 33
Section III: Trail System Management, Maintenance and Monitoring ......... 35
Trail Classification ................................................................................................. 35
Trail Maintenance .................................................................................................. 38
Trail Signage .......................................................................................................... 44
Trail Mapping ......................................................................................................... 53
Partnerships, Friends and Volunteers .................................................................... 55
Understanding and Managing Conflicts .................................................................. 56
Special Trail Uses ................................................................................................... 58
Appendix A: Trail Planning and Management Fundamentals
Appendix B: Trail Proposal and Evaluation Form
Appendix C:
Appendix D: Closing and Restoring Trails, DCR BMP
Appendix E: DCR’s Volunteers in Parks Prgram
Appendix F: USFS Trail Design Parameters (6/18/2002)
Appendix G: Mapping Trails the DCR Way
Appendix H: Biodiversity Conservation Initiative; Conditions Guidance Codes
Appendix I: Additional Maintenance Specifications
Appendix J: Erosion and Sedimentation Control Techniques
DCR Trails Guidelines and Best Practices Manual Updated October, 2014
Implementation Schedule (Revised 2014)
The initial edition of the DCR Tails Guidelines and Standards Manual was completed,
approved and distributed at the 2008 DCR Trail School.
The Manual is reviewed and revised by the DCR Trail Team on an annual or bi-annual basis.
Some elements of the Manual will require years to fully implement. The following table
proposes a timeline for implementation.
Element Implementation Date Comments
Trail Regulations 2012 (revised 2014) DCR CMRs were finalized in 2014
Trail Team January 1, 2008 DCR Trail Team was established in
January 2008 and meets
approximately 3 times each year.
Trail Planning and
Development Standards
October 21, 2008 Trail planning and development
guidelines and standards for
different uses and classes of trail
were complete in the 2008 edition
Complete Trail Inventory 2012 (revised 2014) The trail inventory was completed
for former State Parks in 2013,
and is on-going for former urban
parks.
Implementation of Trail
Maintenance Standards
On-going Maintenance standards
implementation for all trails is
dependent on staffing levels and
DCR priorities; however,
maintenance standards will
establish a benchmark for basic
levels of trail management.
Trail Signage - 2008 for new trails and
new signs
- 2012 for main
intersections
-Full implementation by
2016, all parks and trails
Implementation should follow the
prioritization outlined in the
Signage section
Maps Unknown
Final standards to be developed in
cooperation with DCR Graphics
and GIS staff
Partners and Volunteers 2013 Procedures for engaging partners
and volunteers in trail
maintenance or development will
be finalized in 2013
DCR Trails Guidelines and Best Practices Manual Updated October, 2014
Definitions
Compaction
The downward force that compresses soil caused by trail use.
Heavier modes of travel and higher amounts of trail use cause greater
compaction.
Some compaction is desirable to harden tread and reduce displacement, but
Highly compacted soils cause trail tread to sink, reducing natural infiltration
and the ability for soils to drain.
Displacement
The sideways movement of soils caused by inevitable kicking, grinding, and acceleration
of feet, hooves and wheels.
Amount of displacement is a function of grade and force exerted on tread.
The steeper the grade the faster soil particles move downhill.
Displacement tends to increase erosion by loosening soil particles.
Reduce displacement by limiting trail grade or modes of travel.
Erosion
The movement of soil caused by the forces of water or sometimes wind moving with
enough force to transport soil particles. Erosion is a natural process, so expect it and
learn how to accommodate it.
Grade
The slope of the trail. Measured as a percentage, it is the rise of the trail divided by the
horizontal distance of that rise.
Percent grade formula = rise over run multiplied by 100.
The steeper the grade, the more likely it is to erode.
Avoid the shortest route down a hill (fall line) and flat areas that do not drain.
Generally, average trail grade of 10% or less is most sustainable.
Half rule – a trail’s grade should not exceed half the grade of the side slope
that the trail traverses. For example if the side slope is 30% the trail grade
should not exceed 15%.
Trails
Trails are designated, marked and signed routes that people use recreationally for such
activities as walking, running, hiking, biking, horseback riding, off-highway vehicle use,
snowmobile riding, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Other special uses include
wheelchairs or similar “mobility devices,” carriages, dogsleds, and i
