Editing Trail

{{short description|Path for mostly non-motorized travel through a natural area}}
{{about|paths, tracks or other routes used for recreational travel}}
{{Redirect|Trails|the video game series|Trails (series)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
[[File:Trail between two fields (Slovenia, Selo pri Mirni).jpg|thumb|alt=Photograph of a country track or fieldway |A country track, or [[fieldway]], in [[Slovenia]]]]
[[File:MountainBikeTrail.jpg|thumb|alt=Photograph of a mountain bike trail |Mountain bike trail in the [[Forest of Dean]], England]]
[[File:Kruununpuisto Imatra.JPG|thumb|upright|alt=Photograph of a dirt trail through a forest |Trail in the Kruununpuisto Nature Park in [[Imatra]], [[Finland]]]]

A '''trail''', also known as a '''path''' or '''track''', is an unpaved lane or a small paved road (though it can also be a route along a navigable waterways) generally not intended for usage by [[motorized vehicle]]s, usually passing through a [[natural area]]. However, it is sometimes applied to highways in North America. 
In the [[United Kingdom]] and [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], a path or [[footpath]] is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ramblers.org.uk/advice/paths-in-england-and-wales/definitive-maps-explained.aspx|title=Definive Maps|publisher=Ramblers Association|access-date=13 January 2021|archive-date=14 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114085745/https://www.ramblers.org.uk/advice/paths-in-england-and-wales/definitive-maps-explained.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref> In the US, the term was historically used for a route into or through wild territory used by explorers and migrants (e.g. the [[Oregon Trail]]).  In the United States, "trace" is a synonym for trail, as in [[Natchez Trace]].

Some trails are restricted to use by only walkers, or cyclists, or [[equestrians]], or for [[snowshoeing]], or [[cross-country skiing]], others, for example [[bridleway]]s in the UK, are [[shared-use path|shared]], and can be used by walkers, cyclists and equestrians. Although most ban motorized use, there are unpaved trails used by [[dirt bike]]s, [[quad bike]]s and other [[off-road vehicle]]s, usually for [[extreme sports]] and [[rally race]]s. In some places, like the [[Alps]], trails are used by alpine agrarian communities for [[transhumance|moving cattle and other livestock]].

==Usage==
In Australia, the term track can be used interchangeably with trail or walk, and can refer to anything from a [[dirt road]] to an unpaved [[footpath|pedestrian path]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.australia.com/en-ca/things-to-do/walks-and-hikes/australias-top-hiking-trails.html|title=Australia's Top Hiking Trails|publisher=Australia.com|access-date=14 January 2021|archive-date=27 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027003406/https://www.australia.com/en-ca/things-to-do/walks-and-hikes/australias-top-hiking-trails.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Rain Forest in KLIA.jpg|left|thumb|alt=Photograph of a wooden walkway in a jungle with two people observing a waterfall|Jungle trail inside KLIA Airport]]
In New Zealand, the terms track or [[walkway]] are used almost exclusively except when referring to [[cross-country skiing]]: "walkways vary enormously in nature, from short urban strolls, to moderate coastal locations, to challenging tramps [hikes] in the high country [mountains]".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.doc.govt.nz/documents/getting-involved/nz-conservation-authority-and-boards/nz-conservation-authority/007-nz-walkway-system.pdf|title=Government of New Zealand|access-date=6 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923231107/http://www.doc.govt.nz/documents/getting-involved/nz-conservation-authority-and-boards/nz-conservation-authority/007-nz-walkway-system.pdf|archive-date=23 September 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> Walkway is used similarly in [[St. John's, Newfoundland]], Canada, where the "[[Grand Concourse (St. John's)|Grand Concourse]]", is an integrated walkway system.<ref name=GrandConcourse>{{cite web|url=https://www.grandconcourse.ca/|title=Grand Concourse|publisher=Grand Concourse Authority|access-date=14 January 2021|archive-date=4 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204062338/https://www.grandconcourse.ca/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the United Kingdom, the term trail is in common usage. Longer distance walking routes, and government-promoted long-distance paths, collectively known as [[National Trails]], are also frequently called ways as in the [[Pennine Way]] and [[South Downs Way]]. Generally, the term footpath is preferred for pedestrian routes, including long-distance trails, and is used for urban paths and sometimes in place of [[sidewalk|pavement]]. Track is used for wider paths (wide enough for vehicles), often used for hiking. The terms [[bridleway]], [[Rights of way in England and Wales|byway]], [[restricted byway]] are all recognised legal terms and to a greater or lesser extent in general usage.

The increased popularity of [[mountain biking]] has led to a proliferation of mountain bike trails in many countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://imbacanada.com/demographics-of-mountain-biking/|title=Demographics of Mountain Biking|publisher=IMBA Canada|access-date=13 January 2021|archive-date=30 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130200248/https://imbacanada.com/demographics-of-mountain-biking/|url-status=live}}</ref> Often these will be grouped to form larger complexes, known as trail centers.

In the early years of the 20th&nbsp;century, the term [[auto trail]] was used for a marked highway route,<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040304053651/http://www.marion.ohio-state.edu/fac/schul/trails/intro.html|archive-date=4 March 2004|url=http://www.marion.ohio-state.edu/fac/schul/trails/intro.html|work=North American Auto Trails|title=Introduction}}</ref> and trail is now used to designate routes, including highway routes, designated for tourist interest like the [[Cabot Trail]], Nova Scotia, Canada and the [[Quilt Trail]]s in the US. The term trail has been used by developers and urban planners for a variety of modern paved [[roads]], highways, and [[boulevards]], in these countries, and some highways continue to be officially called a trail, such as the Susquehanna Trail in Pennsylvania, a designation that varies from a two-lane road to a four-lane freeway. An unusual use of the term is in the Canadian province of [[Alberta]], which has multi-lane [[freeways]] called trails.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://roadreports.ama.ab.ca/highways|publisher=AMA|title=Road Reports|access-date=13 January 2021|archive-date=12 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112025057/https://roadreports.ama.ab.ca/highways|url-status=live}}</ref>

== History ==
[[File:OldTraceSunken.jpg|thumb|alt=Photograph of a dirt trail through a forest |The [[Natchez Trace]] is a trail, that was created and used by [[Native Americans in the United States]] for centuries, and was later used by early European and Americans.]]

{{See|Ancient trackway|Old military roads of Scotland|Hiking#History}}

Animals created the first trails, which were "later adapted by humans".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Roads and highways |url=https://www.britannica.com/technology/road |url-status=live |access-date=6 February 2021 |website=[[Encyclopedia Britannica]] |archive-date=28 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128124718/https://www.britannica.com/technology/road }}</ref> Subsequently, farmers moved cattle to market along [[drove road]]s and between [[Transhumance|winter and summer grazing]] creating trails.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Transhumance Trails and Rural Roads |url=https://rm.coe.int/5-transhumance-trails/1680953757 |url-status=live |access-date=6 February 2021 |website=rm.coe.int |archive-date=22 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122013133/https://rm.coe.int/5-transhumance-trails/1680953757 }}</ref><ref>K.J. Bonser, "The Drovers", London, 1970</ref> More recently, former industrial routes, such as [[Rail trail|railway rights of way]] and canal [[towpath]]s, have been turned into recreational trails.

Many historic routes, like the [[Silk Road]], the [[Amber Road]] and the [[Royal Road]] of the [[Persian Empire]], existed before the [[Christian era]] and covered great distances.

The [[Post Track]], a prehistoric [[causeway]] in the valley of the [[River Brue]] in the [[Somerset Levels]], England, is one of the oldest known constructed trackways and dates from around 3838 BC.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sweet Track|url=http://www.selrc.org.uk/maplocation.php?location_id=47|publisher=Severn Estuary Levers Research Committee|access-date=30 September 2016|archive-date=14 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414204551/http://www.selrc.org.uk/maplocation.php?location_id=47|url-status=live}}</ref>

The idea of following a path or track for exercise or pleasure developed during the 18th&nbsp;century in Europe and arose because of changing attitudes to the landscape and nature associated with the [[Romanticism|Romantic movement]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The Norton Anthology of English Literature|editor-first=MH|editor-last=Abrams|volume=2|edition=7th|year=2000|pages=9–10|isbn=9780393963380|publisher=[[W. W. Norton & Company]]}}</ref> In earlier times, walking generally indicated poverty and was associated with vagrancy.<ref>{{cite book|first=Rebecca|last=Solnit|title=Wanderlust: A History of Walking|location=New York|publisher=[[Penguin Books]]|year=2000|isbn=0670882097}}</ref>{{rp|pp=83,297}} In previous centuries long walks were undertaken as part of religious [[pilgrimages]] and this tradition continues throughout the world.

The first footpath built specifically for recreational hiking in America, and likely the world, is the [[Crawford Path]] in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The path was blazed in 1819 by Abel Crawford and his son, Ethan Allen. Originally 8.25 miles in length (now 8.5 miles), the trail leads to the summit of Mt. Washington.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Doran |first=Jeffrey J. |title=Ramble On: How Hiking Became One of the Most Popular Outdoor Activities in the World |year=2023 |publisher=Amazon Digital Services LLC – Kdp |isbn=979-8373963923}}</ref>

==Types==
Trails can be located in different settings for various uses. These can include:

=== Segregated ===
Trail segregation, the practice of designating certain trails as having a specific preferred or exclusive use, is increasingly common and diverse.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.citymtb.org/home/user-management-techniques-part-4-segregated-use|work=User Management Techniques|title=Part 4 – Segregated Use|publisher=City MTB|access-date=13 January 2021|archive-date=15 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115023648/http://www.citymtb.org/home/user-management-techniques-part-4-segregated-use|url-status=live}}</ref> For example, [[bike path|bike trails]] are used not only on roads open to motor vehicles but also in trail systems open to other trail users. Some trails are segregated for use by both equestrians and mountain bikes or by equestrians or mountain bikes alone. Designated "wilderness area" trails may be segregated for non-wheeled use permitting backpacking and horses but not permitting mountain bikes and motorized vehicles.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/bill-seeks-to-remove-bike-ban-in-wilderness-areas/|title=Bill seeks to remove bike ban in wilderness areas|date=18 December 2020|first=Claire|last=McArthur|newspaper=Tahoe Daily Tribune|access-date=14 January 2021|archive-date=15 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115230901/https://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/bill-seeks-to-remove-bike-ban-in-wilderness-areas/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Often, trail segregation for a particular use is accompanied by prohibitions against that use on other trails within the trail system. Trail segregation may be supported by signage, markings, trail design and construction (especially the selection of tread materials), and by separation between parallel treads. Separation may be achieved by "natural" barriers including distance, ditching, banking, grading, and vegetation, and by "artificial" barriers including fencing, curbing, and walls.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mbie.govt.nz/assets/new-zealand-cycle-trail-design-guide.pdf|title=New Zealand Cycle Trail Design Guide|publisher=Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment|location=New Zealand|year=2019|access-date=14 January 2021|archive-date=3 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203210010/https://www.mbie.govt.nz/assets/new-zealand-cycle-trail-design-guide.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Bicycle ====
{{main|Bike path}} {{see also|Bikeway|Rail trail|Mountain biking|Single track (mountain biking)}}

Bicycle trails encompass a wide variety of trail types, including shared-use paths used for commuting, off-road [[Cross-country cycling|cross-country]] trails and [[Downhill mountain biking|downhill mountain bike]] trails. 
[[File:Pfaelzerwald Mountainbike Drachenfels 01.jpg|thumb|alt=Photograph of hikers and mountain bikers on top of a flat rock hill overlooking a forest |Hikers and mountain bikers on top of the Drachenfels (Dragon's Rock) in the [[Palatinate Forest]], Germany]]
The number of off-road cycle trails has increased significantly, along with the popularity of [[mountain bikes]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-49541621|title=New off-road cycle route links England and Scotland|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=1 September 2019|access-date=14 January 2021|archive-date=3 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203004828/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-49541621|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20201213-a-new-way-to-travel-across-the-us|first=Stephen|last=Starr|title=A new way to travel across the US|date=14 December 2020|publisher=BBC.com|access-date=14 January 2021|archive-date=9 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109000220/http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20201213-a-new-way-to-travel-across-the-us|url-status=live}}</ref> Off-road bicycle trails are generally function-specific and most commonly waymarked along their route. They may take the form of single routes or form part of larger complexes, known as trail centers. Off-road trails often incorporate a mix of challenging terrain, [[singletrack]], smooth [[fire trail|fireroads]], and even paved paths. Trails with an easy or moderate technical complexity are generally deemed cross-country trails, while trails difficult even to experienced riders are more often dubbed [[Enduro (mountain biking)|all-mountain]], [[freeride (mountain biking)|freeride]], or downhill. Downhilling is popular at ski resorts like [[Mammoth Mountain Ski Area|Mammoth Mountain]] in California,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mammothmountain.com/mammoth-bike-park|title=Mammoth Bike Park|publisher=Mammoth Mountain Ski Area|access-date=13 January 2021|archive-date=14 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114221757/https://www.mammothmountain.com/mammoth-bike-park|url-status=live}}</ref> or [[Whistler Blackcomb#Whistler Mountain Bike Park|Whistler Blackcomb]] in British Columbia, where [[ski lifts]] are used to get bikes and riders to the top of the mountain.

[[EuroVelo]] bicycle routes are a network of (currently 17) [[long-distance cycling route]]s criss-crossing Europe in various stages of completion; more than {{convert|90000|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} was in place by 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Categories of EuroVelo Routes |url=https://en.eurovelo.com/faq |url-status=live |access-date=6 February 2021 |website=[[EuroVelo]] |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126033811/https://en.eurovelo.com/faq }}</ref><!--<ref name="ecf1">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ecf.com/projects/eurovelo-2/ |title=Projects and networks – EuroVelo |publisher=ECF |access-date=10 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131121014209/http://www.ecf.com/projects/eurovelo-2/ |archive-date=21 November 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It is envisaged that the network will be substantially complete by 2020 and when finished, the EuroVelo network's total length will exceed {{convert|70000|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.eurovelo.org |title=EuroVelo – the European cycle route network |website=EuroVelo.org website |access-date=9 December 2013}}</ref><ref name="routes1">{{Cite web |url=http://www.eurovelo.org/routes/ |title=Routes |website=EuroVelo |publisher=ECF |access-date=23 January 2012}}</ref> (now out-of-date)---> EuroVelo is a project of the [[European Cyclists' Federation]] (ECF).

EuroVelo routes can be used for [[bicycle touring]] across the continent, and by local people making short journeys. The routes comprise both existing [[National cycling route network|national bike routes]], such as the Dutch [[Dutch National Cycle Routes|LF-Routes]], the German [[German Cycling Network|D-Routes]], and the British [[National Cycle Network]], and existing general-purpose roads, together with new stretches of cycle routes to connect them.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/euros-for-eurovelo-18549 |title=Euros for EuroVelo |last=Richard Peace |date=17 September 2008 |website=bikeradar.com |publisher=[[Future Publishing Ltd]]. |access-date=21 December 2009 |archive-date=25 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100925082050/http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/euros-for-eurovelo-18549 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Off-road cycling can cause [[soil erosion]] and [[habitat destruction]] if not carried out on established trails. This is true when trails are wet, though overall, cycling may not have more of an impact as other trail users.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bjorkman |first=Alan |title=Off-road Bicycle and Hiking Trail User Interactions: A Report to the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board |date=1996 |publisher=[[Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources]], Bureau of Research |location=Wisconsin}}</ref>

==== Cross-country skiing ====
[[Image:Ski trails.jpg|thumb|alt=Photograph of a groomed, snow-covered cross-country ski trail |Prepared ski trails for [[cross-country skiing]]]]
{{main|Cross-country skiing trail}} 
In cross-country skiing, a trail is also called a track or piste.<ref>{{cite dictionary|entry=piste|dictionary=New Oxford American Dictionary}}</ref> Recreational cross-country skiing is also called touring, especially in Europe. Some skiers stay out for extended periods using [[tents]] and equipment similar to bushwalkers and hikers, whereas others take shorter trips from ski resorts on maintained trails. In some countries, organizations maintain a network of huts for use by cross-country skiers in wintertime. For example, the [[Norwegian Mountain Touring Association]] maintains over 400 huts stretching across hundreds of kilometres of trails hikers use in the summer and skiers use in the winter.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://english.dnt.no|title=The Norwegian Trekking Association|access-date=8 February 2021|archive-date=4 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204101251/https://english.dnt.no/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Equestrian ====
{{see also|Bridle path|trail riding}}
[[File:Loantaka Brook Reservation bikeway horse path and stream and reflections.jpg|thumb|left|A combination horse and hiking trail in a suburb of New York City]]

Horse riding and other [[Equestrianism|equestrian]] uses of trails continue to be a popular activity for many trail users.<ref name="BNT">The Bicentennial National Trail, Welcome to One of the World's Great Natural Adventures</ref> Horses can usually negotiate much the same grades as hikers, but not always, although they can more easily clear obstacles in the path such as logs.<ref name="john.chapman.name">{{Cite web|url=http://www.john.chapman.name/bicent.html|title=Bushwalking – Bicentennial National Trail|website=www.john.chapman.name|access-date=6 June 2020|archive-date=3 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160803005437/http://www.john.chapman.name/bicent.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Bicentennial National Trail]] (BNT) in Australia is one of the longest marked multi-use trail in the world, stretching {{convert|5330|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} from [[Cooktown, Queensland]], through [[New South Wales]] to [[Healesville, Victoria]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bicentennialnationaltrail.com.au/discover-the-bnt/#menu_bnt|title=Bicentennial National Trail|access-date=12 January 2021|archive-date=14 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114072752/https://www.bicentennialnationaltrail.com.au/discover-the-bnt/#menu_bnt|url-status=live}}</ref> This trail runs the length of the rugged [[Great Dividing Range]] through [[national park]]s, private property and alongside of [[wilderness area]]s. One of the objectives was to develop a trail that linked up the [[brumby]] tracks,<ref name="BNT" /> [[Muster (livestock)|mustering]] and [[stock route]]s along the Great Dividing Range, thus providing an opportunity to legally ride the routes of [[Stockman (Australia)|stockmen]] and [[drover (Australian)|drover]]s who once travelled these areas with [[packhorse|pack horse]]s. This Trail provides access to some of the wildest, most remote country in the world.<ref name="BNT" /> The Bicentennial National Trail is suitable for self-reliant horse riders, fit walkers and mountain bike riders.<ref name="john.chapman.name" />

Within the United States National Trail Classification System,<ref>{{cite journal|title=National Trail Classification System, FSM 2350, and FSH 2309.18|journal=Federal Register|date=3 July 2006|volume=71|number=127|pages=38021–38052|url=http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-IMPACT/2006/July/Day-03/i5967.htm|access-date=6 March 2008|archive-date=7 August 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090807143609/http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-IMPACT/2006/July/Day-03/i5967.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> equestrian trails include simple day-use bridle paths and others built to accommodate long strings of pack animals on journeys lasting many days.  Trail design parameters for these uses include trail base width and material, trail clear width, trail clear height, access to water suitable for stock (not human) use, and trail routing.

==== Pedestrian ====
{{See also|Footpath|Sidewalk|Trail running}}
[[File:An urban footpath.JPG|thumb|An urban footpath in [[Ipswich]], Suffolk, United Kingdom, which prohibits cycling]]

A footpath is a type of [[thoroughfare]] that is intended for use only by [[pedestrians]] either within an urban area or through the countryside. An urban footpath is usually called an alley or lane and often paved (see also: [[sidewalk]] and [[Sidewalk|pavement]]). Other public [[Right of way (transit)|rights of way]], such as [[bridleways]], [[Byway (United Kingdom)|byways]], towpaths, and [[Green lane (road)|green lanes]] are also used by pedestrians.

In England and Wales, there are rights of way on which pedestrians have a legally protected right to travel. [[National parks]], [[nature preserves]], [[conservation area]]s and other protected [[wilderness]] areas may have trails that are restricted to pedestrians.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/vafo/planyourvisit/hikingtrails.htm |title=Trails |website=nps.gov |access-date=13 June 2015 |archive-date=25 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425190024/https://www.nps.gov/vafo/planyourvisit/hikingtrails.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Footpaths can be connected to form a [[long-distance trail]] or way, which can be used by both day hikers and [[Backpacking (wilderness)|backpackers]]. Some trails are over {{convert|1000|mi}} long.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.era-ewv-ferp.org/e-paths/ |title="E Paths: The Best Way to Get to Know Europe", European Ramblers Association |access-date=7 February 2021 |archive-date=26 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071126123940/http://www.ramblers.org.uk/info/paths/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the US and Canada, where [[urban sprawl]] has reached rural communities, developers and local leaders are currently striving to make their communities more conducive to non-motorized transportation through the use of less traditional trails. The [[Robert Wood Johnson Foundation]] in the US has established the [[Active Living by Design]] program to improve the [[Quality of life|livability]] of communities in part through developing trails,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.humpal.org/program-areas/active-living-primer |title=Active Living By Design – HumPAL |website=humpal.org |access-date=13 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150213091625/http://humpal.org/program-areas/active-living-primer |archive-date=13 February 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[Upper Valley Trails Alliance]] in [[Vermont]] has done similar work on traditional trails, while the [[Somerville Community Path]] in [[Somerville, Massachusetts]], and related paths, are examples of urban initiatives. In St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada the "Grand Concourse", is an integrated walkway system that has over {{cvt|160|km}} of walkways, which link every major park, river, pond and green space in six municipalities.<ref name=GrandConcourse />

==== Motor ====
[[File:Off road trail.jpg|thumb|left|alt= |An off-road trail leading into a forest.]] [[File:Orv-damage.jpg|thumb|alt= Photograph of deep ruts left by a vehicle that left a posted trail |Damage that occurred when vehicles left the posted trail at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.]]
{{main|Off-roading}} {{see also|Jeep trail}}

A motorized trail is a trail intended for off-road vehicles, potentially including 4×4 cars, dirt bikes, and all-terrain vehicles (ATV), although trails may restrict the nature of vehicles that are permitted to operate upon them.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jr..Watts |first1=Clifton E. |last2=Fisher |first2=Cherie LeBlanc |title=Proceedings of the 2009 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium |url=https://research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/35609 |website=Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-66. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 276 p. [Online only]. |access-date=14 February 2025 |pages=214-222 |language=en |date=2010}}</ref>

Many motorized trails are maintained on federal land within the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 December 2015 |title=Motorized Recreational Use |url=https://www.doi.gov/ocl/motorized-recreational-use |access-date=27 December 2023 |website=U.S. Department of the Interior |language=en}}</ref> The [[Recreational Trails Program]] defined as part of the [[Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act]] of 1991 mandates that states must use a minimum of 30 percent of these funds for motorized trail uses.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Appointment of Fiscal Yea (FY) 2008 Recreational Trail Program Funds |url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/legsregs/directives/notices/n4510655.cfm |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=[[Federal Highway Administration]] |archive-date=18 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018150314/https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/legsregs/directives/notices/n4510655.cfm }}</ref>

Some members of the US government<ref name="fed">{{Cite web |url=http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/ohv/ |title=USDA Forest Service – Caring for the land and serving people. |website=fs.fed.us |access-date=13 June 2015 |archive-date=10 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190610122834/https://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/ohv/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and environmental organizations, including the [[Sierra Club]] and [[The Wilderness Society (United States)|The Wilderness Society]].<ref name="sierra1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.sierraclub.org/policy/conservation/offroad.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061201153933/http://www.sierraclub.org/policy/conservation/offroad.asp|url-status=dead|title= Sierra Club Conservation Policies Off-Road Use of Motorized Vehicles|archive-date=1 December 2006|access-date=6 June 2020 |website=[[Sierra Club]]}}</ref><ref name="wilderness010">{{Cite web|url=http://www.wilderness.org/OurIssues/ORV/index.cfm?TopLevel=Home|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061214145958/http://www.wilderness.org/OurIssues/ORV/index.cfm?TopLevel=Home|url-status=dead|title=Off-Road Vehicles and Public Lands: A National Problem|archive-date=14 December 2006|access-date=6 June 2020 |website=[[The Wilderness Society (United States)|The Wilderness Society]]}}</ref> have criticized off-road vehicle use on [[public land]]. They have noted several consequences of illegal ORV use such as pollution, trail damage, [[erosion]], [[land degradation]], possible [[extinction|species extinction]],<ref name="CPC">{{Cite web |url=http://centerforplantconservation.org/Collection/CPC_ViewProfile.asp?CPCNum=3407 |title=National Collection of Imperiled Plants – Pholisma sonorae |last=Rice |first=Kathleen C. |publisher=[[Center for Plant Conservation]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104114734/http://www.centerforplantconservation.org/collection/cpc_viewprofile.asp?CPCNum=3407 |archive-date=4 November 2012 |access-date=8 June 2012}}</ref> and habitat destruction<ref name="lvrj">{{Cite web |url=http://www.lvrj.com/news/13702907.html |title=Officials seek to protect desert reptile |website=[[Las Vegas Review-Journal]] |access-date=13 June 2015 |archive-date=7 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207131413/http://www.lvrj.com/news/13702907.html |url-status=live }}</ref> which can leave hiking trails impassable. ORV proponents argue legal use taking place under planned access along with the multiple environmental and trail conservation efforts by ORV groups will mitigate these issues. Groups such as the BlueRibbon Coalition advocate Treadlightly, which is the responsible use of public lands used for off-road activities.
[[Image:Seymour Logging Road.JPG|thumb|right|alt=A photogrpoh of a steep logging road climbing through a forest |A [[British Columbia Ministry of Forests]] [[forest service road]] in steep terrain at the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve near [[North Vancouver (district municipality)|North Vancouver]], British Columbia, Canada]]
[[Noise pollution]] is also a concern,<ref name="wilderness">{{Cite web |url=http://wilderness.org/content/addressing-ecological-effects-road-vehicles |title={{title case|addressing ecological effects of road vehicles}} |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081128011908/http://wilderness.org/content/addressing-ecological-effects-road-vehicles |archive-date=28 November 2008 |access-date=28 July 2014|website=wilderness.org}}</ref> and several studies conducted by [[Montana State University - Bozeman|Montana State University]], [[California State University]], the [[University of Florida]] and others have cited possible negative behavioral changes in wildlife as the result of some ORV use.<ref name="wildland">{{cite web|url=http://www.wildlandscpr.org/node/258|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101225234104/http://www.wildlandscpr.org/node/258 |archive-date=25 December 2010|title=The Impacts of Off-Road Vehicle Noise on Wildlife|website=Wildlands CPR}}</ref> Several US states such as Washington have laws to reduce noise generated by off-road and non-highway vehicles.<ref>{{cite web|quote=State law requires off-road and other non-highway vehicles to use specified noise-muffling devices (RCW 46.09.120(1) (e) maximum limits and test procedures). State agencies and local governments may adopt regulations governing the operation of non-highway vehicles on property, streets, or highways within their jurisdiction, provided they are not less stringent than state law (RCW 46.09.180 regulation by local political subdivisions|url=http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0401007.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207124440/http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0401007.pdf |archive-date=7 February 2012|title=Frequently Asked Questions about Noise Pollution – for Local Government|publisher=Washington State Department of Ecology}}</ref>

==== Water ====
[[Water trail]]s, also referred to as blueways or paddling trails, are marked routes on [[navigable waterway]]s such as [[rivers]], [[lakes]], [[canals]] and coastlines for people using small non-motorized [[boats]] such as [[kayaks]], [[canoes]], [[rafts]], or [[rowboats]]. Some trails may be suitable for [[Tubing (recreation)#Water|float tubing]] or developed in concert with motorized use. They include: signs and route markers; maps; facilities for parking, boat ramps or docks, and places to camp and picnic. There are also state programs and other promotion for water trails in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.americantrails.org/resources/water/ |title=Water and boating trails resources projects promotion |website=americantrails.org |access-date=13 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150106015038/http://www.americantrails.org/resources/water/ |archive-date=6 January 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.americantrails.org/resources/water/National-Water-Trails-overview.html |title=overview of the National Water Trails System |website=americantrails.org |access-date=13 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150522000542/http://www.americantrails.org/resources/water/National-Water-Trails-overview.html |archive-date=22 May 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[American Canoe Association]] has compiled a database of water trails in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.americancanoe.org/site/c.lvIZIkNZJuE/b.4343521/k.939D/ACA_Water_Trails.htm |title=The ACA's Water Trails Database website |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100614064431/http://www.americancanoe.org/site/c.lvIZIkNZJuE/b.4343521/k.939D/ACA_Water_Trails.htm |archive-date=14 June 2010 |access-date=11 April 2014}}</ref> The [[National Park Service]] Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program has compiled a list of water trail resources, success stories, and statewide contacts for water trails.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/ncrc/portals/rivers/projpg/watertrails.htm |title=National Center For Recreation & Conservation – Rivers |website=nps.gov |access-date=13 June 2015 |archive-date=2 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150502193422/http://www.nps.gov/ncrc/portals/rivers/projpg/watertrails.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Shared-use ===
{{See also|Shared use path|Trail riding}}
[[Image:Taiwan 2009 JinGuaShi Historic Gold Mine Trail Leading to Mining Sites FRD 8756.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Photograph of an abandoned mining trail in Taiwan lined with shrubs and trees |An abandoned mining trail in the [[Jinguashi]] mining area in Taiwan]]Shared use may be achieved by sharing a trail easement, but maintaining segregated and sometimes also separated trail treads within it.  This is common with [[rail trails]]. Shared use may also refer to alternate day arrangements, whereby two uses are segregated by being permitted every other day. This is increasingly common on [[long-distance trails]] shared by equestrians and mountain bike users; these two user communities have similar trail requirements but may experience difficult encounters with each other on the trail.

The [[Trans Canada Trail]] can be used by cyclists, hikers, horseback riders, and walkers, as well as [[cross country skiers|cross-country skiers]], [[snowmobile]]rs and [[snowshoe]]rs in winter.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://tctrail.ca |title=Explore and learn more about the Trans Canada Trail, one of Canada's truly great endeavours |website=tctrail.ca |access-date=13 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623190419/http://tctrail.ca/ |archive-date=23 June 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In the United States, the [[East Coast Greenway]]{{emdash}}{{convert|3000|mi|km|0|abbr=on}} from Key West to the Canadian border<ref>{{Cite web |title=About the East Coast Greenway |url=https://www.greenway.org/about/the-east-coast-greenway |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=[[East Coast Greenway]] |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126161056/https://www.greenway.org/about/the-east-coast-greenway }}</ref>{{emdash}} and the 11 September National Memorial Trail, a {{convert|1300|mi|km|0|abbr=on}} triangular loop connecting the three 9/11 memorial sites, are two long-distance multi-use paths for cyclists, runners, walkers, even equestrians.<ref>{{Cite web |title=9/11 Trail |url=https://www.911trail.org/ |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=9/11 Trail |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126140935/https://www.911trail.org/ }}</ref>

In Belgium [[RAVeL network|RAVeL]], French for ''réseau autonome de voies lentes''<ref>{{Cite web |title=The RAVeL |url=https://ravel.wallonie.be/en/home.html |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=ravel.wallonie.be |archive-date=31 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031180842/https://ravel.wallonie.be/en/home.html }}</ref> (''autonomous network of slow ways''), is a [[Wallonia|Walloon]] initiative aimed at creating a network of route itineraries reserved for pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders and people with reduced mobility. The {{cvt|1,350|km}} network makes use of towpaths on river banks and disused railway or [[vicinal tramway]] lines ( narrow-gauge tramways).<ref>{{Cite web |title='RAVel' Network |url=https://walloniabelgiumtourism.co.uk/en-gb/3/i-love/cycling-holidays/ravel-network |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=Wallonia Belgium Tourism |archive-date=21 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021043139/https://walloniabelgiumtourism.co.uk/en-gb/3/i-love/cycling-holidays/ravel-network }}</ref> Old railway lines have been leased by the Walloon Government for 99 years using [[emphyteutic lease]] contracts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Le RAVel |url=http://www.sentiers.be/spip.php?article221 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331131143/http://www.sentiers.be/spip.php?article221 |archive-date=31 March 2012 |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=sentiers.be}}</ref> Where necessary, new paths are created to link parts of the network.

In [[England and Wales]] a bridleway is a trail intended for use by equestrians,<ref>s 329, Highways Act 1980 and s 192, Road Traffic Act 1988.</ref><ref>''A Dictionary of Law Enforcement''. Oxford University Press, 2007.</ref> but walkers also have a [[Right of way (transit)|right of way]], and Section 30 of the [[Countryside Act 1968]], permits the riding of bicycles (but not motor-cycles) on public bridleways, though the act says it "shall not create any obligation to facilitate the use of the bridleway by cyclists". Thus the right to cycle exists even though it may be difficult to exercise on occasion, especially in winter. Cyclists using a bridleway must give way to other users on foot or horseback.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Where can I cycle off-road? |url=https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/cycling-guide/where-can-i-cycle-off-road |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=cyclinguk.org |archive-date=27 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027075258/https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/cycling-guide/where-can-i-cycle-off-road }}</ref>

The [[Seawall (Vancouver)|seawall]] in [[Stanley Park]], [[Vancouver, British Columbia]], Canada is popular for walking, running, cycling, and [[inline skating]]. There are two paths, one for skaters and cyclists and the other for pedestrians. The lane for cyclists and skaters goes one-way in a counterclockwise loop.<ref>Griffin, Kevin; Terri Clark (4 February 2005). "Grand Old Man of the Seawall". Vancouver Sun.</ref>

[[Foreshoreway]] (also [[oceanway]]) is a term used in [[Australian English|Australia]] for a type of [[Greenway (landscape)|greenway]] that provides a public [[Right of way (transit)|right-of-way]] along the edge of the sea open to both walkers and cyclists.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/thegoldcoast/foreshoreways-158.html |title="Coastal Pathways", City off the Gold Coast |access-date=7 February 2021 |archive-date=4 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204165925/https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/thegoldcoast/foreshoreways-158.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Forest road ====
[[File:Mudway at Kambalakonda Ecopark Visakhapatnam.JPG|thumb|alt=Photograph of a walkway through a forest |Trail in Kambalakonda Ecopark near [[Visakhapatnam]]]]
A [[forest road]] is a type of rudimentary access road, built mainly for the [[forest industry]]. In some cases they are used for [[backcountry]] recreation access.

There is open access to most [[Forestry Commission]] roads and land in Great Britain for walkers, cyclists and horse riders and, since the Countryside Bill of 1968, it has become the largest provider of outdoor recreation in Britain.<ref name="largestOutdoor">{{Cite web |url=http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-76ZL3L |title=The Forestry Commission |publisher=[[Forestry Commission]] |access-date=9 June 2012 |archive-date=30 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131030153556/http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-76zl3l |url-status=live }}</ref> The commission works with associations involved in [[Ramblers|rambling]], cycling, mountain biking and [[horse riding]] to promote the use of its land for recreation. The trails open to the public are not just forest roads. A notable example of the commission's promotion of outdoor activity is the [[7stanes]] project in Scotland, where seven purpose built areas of mountain bike trails have been laid, including facilities for disabled cyclists.<ref name="disabledBikers">{{Cite news |last=Michael Lloyd |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4280277.stm |title=Trails open up to disabled bikers |date=19 February 2005 |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=14 June 2012 |archive-date=8 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210208132549/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/4280277.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Holloway ====
A Holloway (also hollow way) is a [[Sunken lane|sunken path or lane]], i.e., a road or track that is significantly lower than the land on either side, not formed by the (recent) engineering of a road cutting but possibly of much greater age. Various mechanisms have been proposed for how holloways may have been formed, including erosion by water or traffic; the digging of embankments to assist with the herding of livestock; and the digging of double banks to mark the boundaries of estates. These mechanisms are all possible and could apply in different cases.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Macfarlane, Robert |title=Holloway |date=2013 |publisher=[[Faber and Faber]] |location=London}}</ref>

==== Rail ====
{{See|List of rail trails}}

[[File:Parkland Walk Islington.jpg|thumb|alt= A Photograph of the Parkland Walk rail trail in London |[[Parkland Walk]] rail trail, [[Islington]], London, England]] 
[[Rail trails]] or paths are shared-use paths that take advantage of abandoned railway corridors. They can be used for walking, cycling and horseback riding. They exist throughout the world. RailTrails Australia describes them as:<blockquote>Following the route of the railways, they cut through hills, under roads, over embankments and across gullies and creeks. Apart from being great places to walk, cycle or horse ride, rail trails are linear conservation corridors protecting native plants and animals. They often link remnant vegetation in farming areas and contain valuable flora and fauna habitat. Wineries and other attractions are near many trails as well as B&B's and other great places to stay.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What are rail trails? |url=http://www.railtrails.org.au/what-are-rail-trails/introduction |url-status=live |access-date=February 7, 2021 |website=railtrails.org |archive-date=November 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127023455/https://www.railtrails.org.au/what-are-rail-trails/introduction }}</ref></blockquote>
Most trails have a gravel or dirt surface suitable for walking, mountain bikes and horses. In the USA the {{cvt|42|mi}} [[Cheshire Rail Trail]], in [[New Hampshire]], can be used by hikers, horseback riders, snowmobilers, cross-country skiers, cyclists, and even [[dog sled|dogsledders]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cheshire Recreational Rail Trail |url=https://www.nhstateparks.org/visit/recreational-rail-trails/cheshire-recreational-rail-trail |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=nhstateparks.org |archive-date=1 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101011019/https://www.nhstateparks.org/visit/recreational-rail-trails/cheshire-recreational-rail-trail }}</ref>
In Canada, following the abandonment of the [[Prince Edward Island Railway]] in 1989, the government of [[Prince Edward Island]] purchased the right-of-way to the entire railway system. The [[Confederation Trail]] was developed as a tip-to-tip walking/cycling gravel rail trail which doubles as a monitored and groomed snowmobile trail during the winter months, operated by the PEI Snowmobile Association. A considerable part of the [[Trans Canada trail]] is repurposed defunct rail lines donated to provincial governments by the [[Canadian Pacific]] and [[Canadian National]] railways rebuilt as walking trails. Much of the Trans Canada Trail development emulated the successful [[Rails-to-Trails]] initiative in the United States. The Trail is multi-use and depending on the section may allow hikers, bicyclists, horseback riders, cross-country skiers and snowmobilers.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://thegreattrail.ca/ |title="The Great Trail" |access-date=8 February 2021 |archive-date=14 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181014003916/https://thegreattrail.ca/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Towpath ====
[[File:Canal swains lock 20040911 121236 2.jpg|left|thumb|alt= Photograph of a dirt towpath beside a canal with a lock with a house in the background |Swain's Lock on the C & O Canal in [[Maryland]], US]]
A [[towpath]] is a road or path on the bank of a river, canal, or other inland waterway. The original purpose of a towpath was to allow a horse, or a team of human pullers, to tow a boat, often a [[barge]]. They can be [[Road surface|paved]] or unpaved and are popular with cyclists and walkers; some are suitable for equestrians. Equestrians have legal access to all towpaths in Scotland, and there is a campaign for similar rights in England and Wales.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lobbying |url=https://www.bhs.org.uk/our-work/access/lobbying |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=[[British Horse Society]] |archive-date=20 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020022734/https://www.bhs.org.uk/our-work/access/lobbying }}</ref> In snowy winters in the USA they are popular with cross-country skiers and snowmobile users.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Snowmobiling in the Illinois & Michigan Canal |url=https://traveltips.usatoday.com/snowmobiling-illinois-michigan-canal-100389.html |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=[[USA Today]] |archive-date=23 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170823162214/http://traveltips.usatoday.com/snowmobiling-illinois-michigan-canal-100389.html }}</ref>

Most canals were owned by private companies in Britain, and the towpaths were deemed to be private, for the benefit of legitimate users of the canal. The nationalisation of the canal system in 1948 did not result in the towpaths becoming public rights of way, and subsequent legislation, such as the Transport Act of 1968, which defined the government's obligations to the maintenance of the inland waterways for which it was now responsible, did not include any commitment to maintain towpaths for use by anyone.<ref name="ReferenceA">Screen, Andy. "Leisure Facilities on the Towpath". Inland Waterways Association. Retrieved 3 February 2012.</ref> Ten years later [[British Waterways]] started to relax the rule that a permit was required to give access to a towpath, and began to encourage leisure usage by walkers, anglers and in some areas, cyclists.<ref>Cumberlidge, Jane (2009). ''Inland Waterways of Great Britain'' (8th ed.). Imray Laurie Norie and Wilson.[[David & Charles]] {{ISBN|978-1-84623-010-3}} p.37</ref> The [[British Waterways Act 1995]] still did not enshrine any right of public access, although it did encourage recreational access of all kinds to the network,<ref name="ReferenceA" /> although the steady development of the leisure use of the canals and the decline of commercial traffic had resulted in a general acceptance that towpaths are open to everyone, and not just boat users.<ref>Cumberlidge, Jane. p.37.</ref> The concept of free access to towpaths is enshrined in the legislation which transferred responsibility for the English and Welsh canals from British Waterways to the [[Canal & River Trust]] in 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2011/09/12/waterways-charity-2/ |title=Government confirms commitment to create new charity to protect Britain's waterways |publisher=DEFRA |access-date=3 February 2012 |archive-date=12 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312193952/http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2011/09/12/waterways-charity-2/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Not all towpaths are suitable for use by cyclists, but where they are, and the canal is owned by British Waterways, a permit is required. There is no charge for a permit, but it acts as an opportunity to inform cyclists about safe and unsafe areas to cycle. Some areas including London are exempt from this policy, but are covered instead by the London Towpath Code of Conduct and cyclists must have a bell, which they ring twice when approaching pedestrians. Parts of some towpaths have been incorporated into the National Cycle Network, and in most cases this has resulted in the surface being improved.<ref>Cumberlidge, p.11.</ref>

In France it is possible to cycle, [[rollerblade]], and hike along the banks of the [[Canal du Midi]]. A paved stretch of {{cvt|50|km}} from [[Toulouse]] to [[Avignonet-Lauragais]] and another {{cvt|12|km}} between [[Béziers]] and [[Portiragnes]] are particularly suited to cycling and rollerblading. It is possible to cycle or walk the entire [[Canal des Deux Mers]] from [[Sète]] to [[Bordeaux]].<ref>Jean-Yves Grégoire, On foot, on bicycle, the Canal du Midi and the lateral canal (in French). Rando-Éditions, {{ISBN|978-2-84182-314-7}}</ref> Other French canals provide walkers "with many excellent routes, as they are always accompanied by a towpath, which makes a pleasant off-road track, and have the added virtues of flatness, shade and an abundance of villages along the way", though walking a canal can be monotonous, so that "a long trip beside a canal is better done by bicycle".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://walkinginfrance.info/canals/ |title=Canals |last=Keith |website=walkinginfrance.info |access-date=13 June 2015 |archive-date=17 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617180643/http://walkinginfrance.info/canals |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Walnut Creek Urban Trail Austin Texas.jpg|thumb|alt=Photograph of a concrete urban trail running alongside a road|Part of the Northern Walnut Creek Trail, an urban trail in Austin, Texas, United States]]

=== Urban ===
{{See|Greenway (landscape)|Linear park}}

An urban trail is a citywide network of non-motorized, multi-use pathways that are used by bicyclists, walkers and runners for transportation and recreation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What is an urban trail? |url=https://www.americantrails.org/images/documents/EcosUrbanTrails08.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=americantrails.org |archive-date=14 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191014143423/https://www.americantrails.org/images/documents/EcosUrbanTrails08.pdf }}</ref> Urban trails have a variety of surfaces, and some designated for two-way traffic. 

==== Alley ====
[[File:FanTanAlley.jpg|thumb|alt=Photograph of an alley with a man walking through it|View into Fan Tan Alley, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada]]
Urban pedestrian footpaths are sometimes called [[alleys]] or lanes and in older cities and towns in Europe and are often what is left of a medieval street network or rights-of-way or ancient footpaths. Similar paths also exist in some older North American towns and cities, like [[Charleston, South Carolina]], [[New Castle, Delaware]], and [[Pittsburgh]], Pennsylvania. Such urban trails or footpaths are narrow, usually paved and often between the walls of buildings. This type is usually short and straight, and on steep ground can consist partially or entirely of steps. Some are named. Because of geography [[stairs|steps]] are a common form of footpath in hilly cities and towns. This includes Pittsburgh (see [[Steps of Pittsburgh]]), [[Cincinnati]] (see [[Steps of Cincinnati]]), [[Seattle]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Seattle Stairway Walks |url=http://www.seattlestairwalks.com/ |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=seattlestairwalks.com |archive-date=1 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191101202223/http://www.seattlestairwalks.com/ }}</ref> and San Francisco<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stairways of San Francisco |url=http://www.sisterbetty.org/stairways/ |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=sisterbetty.org |archive-date=26 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426001201/http://www.sisterbetty.org/stairways/ }}</ref> in the United States, as well as Hong Kong,<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-15/two-architects-explore-the-microeconomy-of-hong-kong-s-alleyways |title=Linda Poon, "The Roots of Hong Kong's Identity Are in Its Back Alleys",July 15, 2016, Bloomberg.com |website=[[Bloomberg News]] |date=15 July 2016 |access-date=7 February 2021 |archive-date=7 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107234934/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-15/two-architects-explore-the-microeconomy-of-hong-kong-s-alleyways |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Quebec City]], Quebec, Canada,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Quebec: a poor man's Europe |url=http://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/~rcollins/travel/Quebec.html |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=ndsu.edu |archive-date=7 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200307161102/https://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/~rcollins/travel/Quebec.html }}</ref> and [[Rome]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=5 Interesting Steps to Rome |url=http://italiannotes.com/5-steps-to-rome/ |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=italiannotes.com |date=29 June 2011 |archive-date=15 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200415022147/https://italiannotes.com/5-steps-to-rome/ }}</ref> [[Stairway]] trails are found in a number of hilly American cities. This includes the Stairway Trails in [[Bernal Heights, San Francisco, California|Bernal Heights]], East San Francisco.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stair Maps |url=https://www.communitywalk.com/san_francisco/ca/san_francisco_stairs/map/399832 |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=communitywalk.com |archive-date=12 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112020146/https://www.communitywalk.com/san_francisco/ca/san_francisco_stairs/map/399832 }}</ref>

== System layout ==

=== Linear ===
A linear trail goes from one point to another without connecting trails.<ref name="Connections-2008">{{Cite journal |date=October 2008 |title=Designing an 'Experience' into a Trail |url=http://www.landandwaterpartnership.org/documents/Designing_Experience_Into_a_Trail.pdf |journal=Connections |publisher=Massachusetts Greenways and Trails Program |access-date=4 January 2015 |archive-date=5 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150105134011/http://www.landandwaterpartnership.org/documents/Designing_Experience_Into_a_Trail.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> These trails are also known as "out-and-back" or "destination" trails. Rail trails and long-distance trails are examples of linear trails. Linear trails usually follow long distances. A shorter linear trail is a spur trail, which takes a user to a particular point-of-interest, such as a waterfall or mountain summit.<ref name="Connections-2008" />

=== Looped ===
A looped trail allows a user to end up where they started with either minimal or no repeating parts of the trail.<ref name="Connections-2008" /> Looped-trail systems come in many permutations. A single-looped trail system is often used around lakes, wetlands, and other geological features.<ref name="PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR)-2013">{{Cite web |url=http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/cs/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_20028130.pdf |title=Pennsylvania Trail Design & Development Principles: Guidelines for Sustainable, Non-motorized Trails |date=May 2013 |publisher=PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) |access-date=5 January 2015 |archive-date=6 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140606023056/http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/cs/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_20028130.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> A series of looped trails is a stacked-loop trail system. A stacked loop trail system has several interconnected looped trails. This creates an efficient, compact design with many route options. In a multiple-loop system, each loop extends from a single trailhead.

Trail systems often combine linear trails with looped trails. In a spoked-wheel system, linear trails connect a central trailhead with an outer loop. In a primary-and-secondary loop system, linear trails connect a primary loop with secondary loops. Last, a maze system incorporates both loops and linear trails. Maze systems provide users many choices; some users may find navigation difficult.<ref name="PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR)-2013" />

==Administration==

===Europe===
[[File:Refuge Bel-Lachat gr5 Chamonix.jpg|thumb|alt= A walker silhouetted by a cabin on mountain slope |A walker preparing to leave the Refuge de Bel Lachat, [[Chamonix]], in the [[French Alps]], on the long-distance path [[GR5]]]]
A group of public and private organisations from the eight Alpine countries in Europe created the [[Via Alpina]] in 2000, receiving EU funding from 2001 until 2008. It was initiated by the Association [[Grande Traversée des Alpes]] in [[Grenoble]], which hosted the Via Alpina international secretariat until January 2014, when it was transferred to the [[International Commission for the Protection of the Alps]] CIPRA, in Liechtenstein. There are national secretariats (hosted by public administrations or hiking associations) in each country. Its aim is to support sustainable development in remote mountain areas and promote the Alpine cultures and cultural exchanges.<ref>{{Cite web |title=International Commission for the Protection of the Alps (CIPRA) |url=http://www.fao.org/mountain-partnership/members/members-detail/en/c/43135/ |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=fao.org |archive-date=23 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200723072243/http://www.fao.org/mountain-partnership/members/members-detail/en/c/43135/ }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=And first, a bit of history… |url=http://www.via-alpina.org/en/page/33/and-first-a-bit-of-history |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=via.alpina.org |archive-date=21 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121072414/http://www.via-alpina.org/en/page/33/and-first-a-bit-of-history }}</ref>

The [[Grande Randonnée]] (French), ''Grote Routepaden'' or ''Lange-afstand-wandelpaden'' (Dutch), ''Grande Rota'' (Portuguese) or ''Gran Recorrido'' (Spanish) is a network of [[long-distance footpaths]] in Europe, mostly in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain. Many GR routes make up part of the longer [[European walking routes]] which cross several countries. In France alone, the trails cover approximately {{cvt|60000|km}}. In France, the network is maintained by the ''Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre'' (French Hiking Federation),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ffrandonnee.fr/|title=Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre|website=www.ffrandonnee.fr|access-date=6 June 2020|archive-date=13 September 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100913090152/http://www.ffrandonnee.fr/|url-status=live}}</ref> and in Spain by the Spanish Mountain Sports Federation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fedme.es/?action=seccion.seccion&subseccion=89|title=FEDME – Federación Española de Deportes de Montaña y Escalada|website=www.fedme.es|access-date=6 June 2020|archive-date=9 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809155941/http://www.fedme.es/?action=seccion.seccion&subseccion=89|url-status=live}}</ref>

===UK and Ireland===
In England and Wales, many trails and footpaths are of ancient origin and are protected under law as [[Rights of way in the United Kingdom|rights of way]]. In [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], the [[Keep Ireland Open]] organization is campaigning for similar rights.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.keepirelandopen.org/ |title=Keep Ireland Open |access-date=4 April 2012 |website=keepirelandopen.org |archive-date=17 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417131908/http://www.keepirelandopen.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Local highway authorities, in England and Wales, (usually [[county councils]] or [[Unitary authority#United Kingdom|unitary authorities]]) are required to maintain the definitive map of all public rights of way in their areas, and these can be inspected at council offices. If a path is shown on the [[definitive map]], and no subsequent order (e.g. a stopping up) exists, then the right of way is conclusive in law. But just because a path is not on that map, does not mean that it is not a public path, as the rights may not have been recorded. The [[Countryside Agency]] estimated that over 10% of public paths are not yet listed on the definitive map. The [[Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000]] provides that paths that are not recorded on the definitive map by 2026 and that were in use prior to 1949 will automatically be deemed stopped-up on 1&nbsp;January 2026.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/37/section/53/notes |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=legislation.gov.uk |archive-date=23 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123111834/https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/37/section/53/notes }}</ref>

In Scotland, [[Rights of way in Scotland|a right of way]] is a route over which the public has passed unhindered for at least 20 years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rights of way in Scotland |url=http://www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/access/sr-sprow.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150726005816/http://www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/access/sr-sprow.pdf  |archive-date=26 July 2015 |access-date=7 February 2021}}</ref> The route must link two "public places", such as villages, churches or roads. Unlike in England and Wales, there is no obligation on Scottish [[Local government of Scotland|local authorities]] to signpost or mark a right of way. The charity [[Scotways]], formed in 1845 to protect rights of way, records and signs the routes. There is no legal distinction between [[footpaths]] and bridleways in Scotland, as there is in England and Wales, though it is generally accepted that cyclists and horseback riders may follow rights of way with suitable surfaces.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}

[[File:Scottish Rights of Way Society Sign - geograph.org.uk - 249365.jpg|thumb|alt=Photograph of a sign indicating a Scottish public path |Scotways sign for a Scottish public path]]
The [[Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003]] established a general presumption of access to all land in Scotland, making the existence of rights of way less important in terms of access to land in Scotland. Certain categories of land are excluded from this presumption of open access such as railway land, airfields and private gardens.<ref>{{cite web|title=Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 asp 2|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2003/2/pdfs/asp_20030002_en.pdf|access-date=4 March 2017|website=legislation.gov.uk|archive-date=2 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170302070229/http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2003/2/pdfs/asp_20030002_en.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Northern Ireland]] has very few public rights of way and access to land there is more restricted than other parts of the UK. In many areas, walkers can enjoy the countryside only because of the goodwill and tolerance of landowners.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.walkni.com/useful-info/ |title=Access |website=walkni.com |access-date=13 June 2015 |archive-date=3 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703105408/http://www.walkni.com/useful-info/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Northern Ireland shares the same legal system as England, including concepts about the ownership of land and public rights of way, but it has its own court structure, system of precedents and specific access legislation.<ref>{{cite web|title=A Guide to Public Rights of Way and Access to the Countryside|publisher=Department of the Environment, Northern Ireland|url=http://www.doeni.gov.uk/index/information/foi/.../publications-details.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019105343/http://www.doeni.gov.uk/index/information/foi/.../publications-details.htm |archivedate=19 October 2014 }}</ref>

In England and Wales a National Trails system of [[long-distance footpath]]s also exists administered by [[Natural England]] and the [[Natural Resources Wales]], statutory agencies of the [[UK government|UK]] and the [[Welsh Government]]s, respectively. These include [[Hadrian's Wall Path]], the [[Pembrokeshire Coast Path]], the [[Pennine Bridleway]] (bridleway), the [[South West Coast Path]] (South West Way) (the longest), and the [[Thames Path]], and many more. Together these are over {{cvt|4000|km}} long.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore your National Trails |url=https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB/trails/ |access-date=14 September 2022 |website=National Trails |language=en-GB}}</ref>

In Scotland, the equivalent trails are called [[Scotland's Great Trails]] and are administered by [[NatureScot]]. The first, and probably the most popular, is the [[West Highland Way]], which is {{cvt|152|km}} long and was opened in 1980.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Scottish Natural HeritageCommissioned Report No. 380 Developing the network of longer distance routes |url=https://www.nature.scot/sites/default/files/2017-07/Publication%202010%20-%20SNH%20Commissioned%20Report%20380%20-%20Developing%20the%20network%20of%20longer%20distance%20routes.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=nature.scot |archive-date=8 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808171732/https://www.nature.scot/sites/default/files/2017-07/Publication%202010%20-%20SNH%20Commissioned%20Report%20380%20-%20Developing%20the%20network%20of%20longer%20distance%20routes.pdf }}</ref>

[[Sustrans]] is a British charity that promotes [[sustainable transport]], and it works on projects to encourage people to walk, [[bicycle|cycle]], and use public transport, to give people the choice of "travelling in ways that benefit their health and the environment".<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Sustrans |url=http://www.sustrans.org.uk/default.asp?sID=1091003006653&pID= |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927003537/http://www.sustrans.org.uk/default.asp?sID=1091003006653&pID= |archive-date=27 September 2007 |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=sustrans.org}}</ref> Sustrans' flagship project is the National Cycle Network, which has created over {{cvt|14,000|mi}} of signed [[cycle route]]s throughout the UK.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map/national-cycle-network/about |title=About the National Cycle Network |publisher=Sustrans |access-date=17 March 2014 |archive-date=25 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140325133704/http://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map/national-cycle-network/about |url-status=live }}</ref>

===United States===
[[File:Cascade pass.jpg|left|thumb|alt= Photograph of a trail at the foot of a mountain  |A trail north of Cascade Pass, [[North Cascades National Park]], Washington, United States]]
In 1968, the United States' [[National Trails System]], which includes [[National Scenic Trails]], [[National Historic Trail]]s and [[National Recreation Trail]]s, was created under the National Trails System Act.<ref>({{USStatute|90|543|82|919|1968|10|02}}), codified at  {{usc|16|1241}} ''[[et seq.]]''</ref> The most famous American long trails are the [[Appalachian National Scenic Trail]], generally known as the Appalachian Trail and the [[Pacific Crest Trail]]. The Appalachian Trail is a marked hiking route in the eastern United States extending between [[Springer Mountain]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], and [[Mount Katahdin]], [[Maine]].<ref name="OFAQ">Gailey, Chris (2006). [http://www.outdoors.org/conservation/trails/at/at-faq.cfm "Appalachian Trail FAQs"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080505063953/http://www.outdoors.org/conservation/trails/at/at-faq.cfm |date=5 May 2008 }} Outdoors.org (accessed 14 September 2006)</ref> The trail is approximately {{convert|2200|mi}} long.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Appalachian National Scenic Trail |url=https://www.nps.gov/appa/index.htm |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=nps.gov |archive-date=27 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127160610/https://www.nps.gov/appa/index.htm }}</ref> The Pacific Crest Trail is a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]] and [[Cascade Range|Cascade]] mountain ranges, which lie {{convert|100|to|150|mi|km|-1}} east of the US Pacific coast. The trail's southern terminus is on the US border with Mexico and its northern terminus on the US-Canada border on the edge of [[Manning Park]] in British Columbia, Canada; its corridor through the US is in the states of California, [[Oregon]], and [[Washington (state)|Washington]]. It is {{convert|2663|mi}} long.<ref>Go, Benedict; 'Pacific Crest Trail Association' (2005). ''Pacific Crest Trail Data Book''. [[Wilderness Press]]. p. 15. {{ISBN|978-0-89997-369-2}}.</ref>

The land management agency in charge of a trail writes and enforces the rules and regulations for it. A trail may be completely contained within one administration (e.g. a State Park) or it may pass through multiple administrations, leading to a confusing array of regulations, allowing dogs or mountain bikes in one segment but not in another, or requiring [[National Wilderness Preservation System|Wilderness Permits]] for a portion of the trail, but not everywhere.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

In the United States agencies administering trails include the National Park Service, the [[US Forest Service]], the [[Bureau of Land Management]], State Park systems, County Parks, cities, private organizations such as land trusts, businesses and individual property owners.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

New trail construction by an agency must often be assessed for its environmental impact and conformance with State or Federal laws. For example, in California new trails must undergo reviews specified by the [[California Environmental Quality Act]] (CEQA).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ceres.ca.gov/ceqa/ |title=CEQA |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405110905/http://ceres.ca.gov/ceqa/ |archive-date=5 April 2012 |access-date=4 April 2012}}</ref>

==== Universal access ====
All trails and shared use paths—indeed, any areas open to pedestrians—that are owned or operated by a public or private entity covered by the [[Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990]] are subject to federal regulations on Other Power-Driven Mobility Devices ("OPDMDs"). These rules potentially greatly expand the types of vehicular devices that must be permitted on trails, shared use paths, other routes, and other areas open to the public. This publication discusses ways to manage access by these vehicles.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Accessibility |url=https://www.railstotrails.org/build-trails/trail-building-toolbox/design/accessibility/ |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=railstotrails.org |archive-date=15 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115050418/https://www.railstotrails.org/build-trails/trail-building-toolbox/design/accessibility/ }}</ref>

There are many types of non-motorized, land-based recreational trails and shared use paths: hiker and pedestrian trails, mountain biking trails, equestrian trails, and multi-use trails designed for several user types. The companion guide to this publication, the ''2013 Pennsylvania Trail Design and Development Principles: Guidelines for Sustainable, Non-Motorized Trails'' (the "Pennsylvania Trail Design Manual"), provides guidance and detailed information about the characteristics of the various types of trails and paths. The publication is a resource to help evaluate, plan, design, construct, and manage  a route on a site. The publication ''Universal Access Trails and Shared Use Paths: Design, Management, Ethical and Legal Considerations'' focuses on the accessibility aspects of the most commonly constructed types.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://conservationtools.org/guides/show/115-Trail-Accessibility-for-People-with-Disabilities |title=Universal Access Trails and Shared Use Paths - ConservationTools.org |website=conservationtools.org |access-date=13 June 2015 |archive-date=2 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402134534/http://conservationtools.org/guides/show/115-Trail-Accessibility-for-People-with-Disabilities |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Construction==
[[Image:Under the rumbling Steinsdalsfossen.png|thumb|alt=Photograph of a trail under a waterfall |A trail constructed under the waterfall [[Steinsdalsfossen]], Norway]]
While most trails have arisen through common usage, the design and construction of good quality new paths is a complex process that requires certain skills.

When a trail passes across a flat area that is not wet, brush, tree limbs and undergrowth are removed to create a clear, walkable trail. A bridge is built when a stream or river is sufficiently deep to make it necessary. Other options are [[culverts]], [[Step-stone bridge|stepping stones]], and shallow fords. For equestrian use, shallow [[Ford (crossing)|fords]] may be preferred. In wet areas an elevated trailway with fill or a [[boardwalk]] is often used, though boardwalks require frequent maintenance and replacement, because boards in poor condition can become slippery and hazardous.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Basic Elements of Trail Design and Trail Layout From "Pathways to Trail Building" |url=https://www.americantrails.org/resources/basic-elements-of-trail-design-and-trail-layout |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=americantrails.org |archive-date=28 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028002313/https://www.americantrails.org/resources/basic-elements-of-trail-design-and-trail-layout }}</ref>

===Slopes===
{{More citations needed section|date=February 2021}}
Trail gradients are determined based on a site specific assessment of soils and geology, drainage patterns of the slope, surrounding vegetation types, position on the slope of a given trail segment (bottom, mid-slope, ridgeline), average precipitation, storm intensities, types of use, volume and intensity of use, and a host of other factors affecting the ability of the trail substrate to resist erosion and provide a navigable surface. Trails that ascend steep slopes may use [[hairpin turn|switchback]]s, but switchback design and construction is a specialized topic.

Trails that are accessible by users with disabilities are mandated by the U.S. Federal Government to have slope of less than 12%, with no more than 30% of the trail having slope greater than 8.33%.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.access-board.gov/files/aba/guides/outdoor-guide.pdf|pages=24–25|publisher=United States Access Board|year=2014|title=Accessibility standards for Federal outdoor developed areas}}</ref>

Trails outside of wilderness areas have outward side-to-side gradients less than 8%,.<ref name=NCT>{{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/noco/learn/management/upload/NCT_CH4.pdf|title=Standards for Trail Construction|work=Handbook for Trail Design and Construction and Maintenance|publisher=National Park Service|year=1998}}</ref> A flat or inward-sloping trail collects water and causes extra trail maintenance.<ref name=NCT/> The ideal path is built almost, but not quite, level in cross-section.

To achieve a proper slope in hilly terrain, a '''sidehill''' trail is excavated. This type of trailway is created by establishing a line of a suitable slope across a hillside, which is then dug out by means of a [[mattock]] or similar tool. This may be a '''full-bench''' trail, where the treadway is only on the firm ground surface after the overlying soil is removed and sidecast (thrown to the side as waste), or a '''half-bench''' trail, where soil is removed and packed to the side so that the treadway is half on firm old ground and half on new packed fill. In areas near drainages, creeks and other waterways, excavation spoils are taken away in bulk and deposited in an environmentally benign area. Trails are established entirely on fill in problem areas. In such cases, the soil is packed down firmly and the site is periodically checked to maintain the stability of the trail.
[[Image:Mohonk Mountain House 2011 Hiking Trail against Guest Rooms 2 FRD 3281.jpg|thumb|alt=A stairway trail on the side of a hill overlooking a river |Parts of many hiking trails at [[Mohonk Mountain House]] include stairway trails]]

Cycle trails built for commuting may be built to a different set of standards than pedestrian-only trails and, in some cases, may require a harder surface, fewer changes in grade and slope, increased sight visibility, and fewer sharp changes in direction. On the other hand, the cross-slope of a bicycle trail may be significantly greater than a foot trail, and the path may be narrower in some cases. The [[American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials]] recommends different widths for different types of bicycle facilities.<ref name="aashto">{{Cite web |url=https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/docs/b_aashtobik.pdf |title=Guide for the development of bicycle facilities |year=1999 |publisher=American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials |access-date=20 December 2011 |archive-date=15 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015204727/http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/docs/b_aashtobik.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> For example, a shared use path has a recommended one directional width of {{convert|8|ft|m|2}}, while a bidirectional path should be significantly wider ({{convert|10|to|12|ft|m|2|disp=or}}) to accommodate bidirectional traffic and users.  The US Department of Transportation provides additional guidance on recreational bicycle and pedestrian trail planning and design standards.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/rectrails/manuals.htm |title=Manuals and Guides for Trail Design, Construction, Maintenance, and Operation, and for Signs |publisher=US Federal Highway Administration |website=[[Federal Highway Administration|Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)]] |access-date=19 December 2011 |archive-date=18 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111218125937/http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/rectrails/manuals.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

A well designed recreational [[mountain bike]] path for the exclusive use of bicycles has an average grade of less than 10% and generally follows a [[contour line]], rather than straight downhill.

===Drainage===
{{More citations needed section|date=February 2021}}
[[Image:Waterbar.jpg|left|thumb|upright|alt=Photograph showing a waterbar drainage ditch to the left, the trail to the right |A [[waterbar]] in New York's [[Catskill Mountains]]. The trail forks right; the drainage ditch is to the left.]]
Trail construction requires proper drainage. If drainage is inadequate, three issues may occur: water may accumulate on flat terrain to the point that the trail becomes unusable; moving water can erode trails on slopes; or inadequate drainage may create local mud spots. Mountain bike trails slope out or across the trail 3–5% downhill to encourage water to run off the side, rather than down the trail bed.<ref name=DBST>{{Cite web |title=Designing and Building Sustainable Trails |url=https://imbacanada.com/designing-and-building-sustainable-trails/ |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=imbaccanada.com |archive-date=14 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114114705/https://imbacanada.com/designing-and-building-sustainable-trails/ }}</ref>

To remedy the first problem, water accumulation on flat terrain, raised walkways are often built. They include turnpikes, causeways, embankments, stepping stones, and bridges (or deckwalks).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sctrails.net/trails/LIBRARY/TrailTerms.htm |title=Glossary of Trail and Greenway Terms |date=2008 |publisher=South Carolina State Trails Program |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413061637/http://www.sctrails.net/trails/library/trailterms.htm |archive-date=13 April 2014 |access-date=5 January 2014}}</ref> The earthen approaches are often done by cutting poles from the woods, staking parallel poles in place on the ground, then filling between them with whatever material is available to create the raised walkway. The more elaborate option of the deckwalk is by necessity reserved for shorter stretches in very high-traffic areas. Water accumulation is particularly common in the [[Northern England|North Country]] of England.

The second problem, water erosion, is caused because trails, by their nature, tend to become [[drainage]] channels and eventually gullies when the drainage is poorly controlled. Where a trail is near the top of a hill or ridge, this is usually a minor issue, but when it is farther down, it can become a very major one.

In areas of heavy water flow along a trail, a ditch is often dug on the uphill side of the trail with drainage points across the trail. The cross-drainage is also accomplished by means of culverts cleared on a semi-annual basis, or by means of cross-channels, often created by placing logs or timbers across the trail in a downhill direction, called "thank-you-marms", "deadmen", or '''[[waterbars]]'''. Timbers or rocks are also used for this purpose to create erosion barriers. Rock paving in the bottom of these channels and in the trailside ditches is sometimes used to maintain stability. The creation of water bars, with or without ditching, at major points of water flow on or along the trail, and in conjunction with existing drainage channels below the trail, is a technique that can be applied. Another technique that has been adopted is the construction of '''coweeta dips''', or drain dips, points on the trail where it falls briefly (for a meter or so) and then rises again. These provide positive drainage points that are almost never clogged by debris.
[[File:Black Hill (Peak District).jpg|thumb|alt= Photograph of a stone path laid across boggy ground |[[Black Hill (Peak District)]], Cheshire, England, where a stone path was laid across boggy ground]]
The third type of problem can occur both on bottomlands and on ridgetops and a variety of other spots. A local spot or short stretch of the trail may be chronically wet. If the trail is not directly on rock, then a mud pit forms.  Trail users go to the side of the trail to avoid the mud pit, and the trail becomes widened. A "corduroy" is a technique used when an area cannot be drained. This ranges from random sticks to split logs being laid across the path. Some early turnpikes in the United States were [[corduroy road]]s, and these can still be found in third-world forested areas. With recreational trails, it is common for the sticks to be one to three inches thick and laid in place, close together. Sometimes, a short bridge is used.<ref name=DBST/>

===Maintenance===
Natural surface, single-track trails will require some ongoing maintenance. If the trail is properly designed and constructed, maintenance should be limited to clearing downed trees, trimming back brush and clearing drainages. Depending on location, if the trail is properly designed, there should be no need for major rework such as grading or erosion control efforts. Mountain trails which see both significant rainfall and human traffic may require "trail hardening" efforts to prevent further erosion. Most of the seemingly natural rock steps on the mountain trails of the northeast United States are the work of professional and volunteer trail crews.<ref name=DBST/>

===Navigation===<!-- This section is linked from [[Tuscarora Trail]] -->
{{Main|Trail blazing}}
[[Image:Trail blaze-symbols.svg|left|thumb|alt=Illustration of the common symbols used in trail blazing in the US |The most common symbols used in [[trail blazing]] in the US]]

For long-distance trails, or trails where there is any possibility of someone taking a wrong turn, '''[[Trail blazing|blazing]]''' or signage is provided (the term [[waymarking]] is used in Britain). This is accomplished by using either paint on natural surfaces or by placing pre-made medallions or sometimes [[cairn]]s. Horseshoe-shaped blazes are used frequently for bridle trails. The [[Appalachian Trail]] is blazed with white rectangles, and blue is often used for side trails. [[European long-distance path|European long-distance walking paths]] are blazed with yellow points encircled with red. Other walking paths in European countries are blazed in a variety of manners.

Where bike trails intersect with pedestrian or equestrian trails, signage at the intersections and high visibility onto the intersecting trails are needed to prevent collisions between fast-moving cyclists and slower moving hikers and horses. Bicycles and horses can share the same trails where the trail is wide enough with good visibility.  The US Department of Transportation provides standards and guidelines for traffic control, including signage and striping, for bicycle facilities.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Manual on Uniformed Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) |year=2009 |chapter=9 |chapter-url=https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/ |access-date=19 December 2011 |archive-date=11 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191111063902/https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Classification ===
[[File:BergAlpinWegweiser.jpg|thumb|Swiss signs: hiking trails in yellow,<br />mountain path in white-red-white,<br />Alpine Route in white-blue-white]]

A simple colored symbol to classify a trail's difficulty in the USA was first used for ski trails and is now being used for hiking, bicycle, other trails.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.skinet.com/ski/transportation-security-administration/2008/11/signs-of-the-times |title=Signs of the Times |last=John Fry |date=November 2008 |publisher=SKI Magazine |access-date=25 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160323105049/http://www.skinet.com/ski/transportation-security-administration/2008/11/signs-of-the-times |archive-date=23 March 2016 |url-status=usurped }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c5/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gDfxMDT8MwRydLA1cj72BTSw8jAwgAykeaxcN4jhYG_h4eYX5hPgYwefy6w0H24dcPNgEHcDTQ9_PIz03VL8iNMMgycVQEAIzTHkw!/dl3/d3/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS9ZQnZ3LzZfMjAwMDAwMDBBODBPSEhWTjJNMDAwMDAwMDA!/?navtype=&cid=stelprdb5103006&navid=110160000000000&pnavid=110000000000000&ss=110618&position=Not%20Yet%20Determined.Html&ttype=detail&pname=Willamette%20National%20Forest-%20Hiking |title=Trails/Hiking: Explanation of Trail Difficulty |publisher=US Forest Service |access-date=25 August 2011 |archive-date=7 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107204736/http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c5/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gDfxMDT8MwRydLA1cj72BTSw8jAwgAykeaxcN4jhYG_h4eYX5hPgYwefy6w0H24dcPNgEHcDTQ9_PIz03VL8iNMMgycVQEAIzTHkw!/dl3/d3/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS9ZQnZ3LzZfMjAwMDAwMDBBODBPSEhWTjJNMDAwMDAwMDA!/?navtype=&cid=stelprdb5103006&navid=110160000000000&pnavid=110000000000000&ss=110618&position=Not%20Yet%20Determined.Html&ttype=detail&pname=Willamette%20National%20Forest-%20Hiking |url-status=live }}</ref>
*Green circle – easy
*Blue square – moderate
*Black diamond – difficult

Other systems may be used in different locations.<ref>[http://www.trentu.ca/academic/trailstudies/difficult.html Trail Difficulty Classification] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216193602/http://www.trentu.ca/academic/trailstudies/difficult.html |date=16 February 2017 }}. Trail Studies Unit, [[Trent University]]. Retrieved 25 August 2009.</ref><ref>[http://everything2.com/title/Ski+trail+difficulty+classifications Ski trail difficulty classifications] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802112959/https://everything2.com/title/Ski+trail+difficulty+classifications |date=2 August 2017 }}. gavmck, [[Everything2]], 4 June 2004. Retrieved 25 August 2009.</ref>

In Switzerland, paths are classified by three levels of difficulties: Hiking paths (yellow markers), mountain paths (white-red-white markers) and alpine paths (white-blue-white markers).

==See also==
{{Portal|Environment|Ecology}}
{{div col}}
* [[Alpine route]]
* [[Assault course|Exercise trail]] ("trim trail")
* [[Dirt road]]
* [[Boardwalk]] and [[Promenade]]
* [[Corpse road]]
* [[Desire path]]
* [[Educational trail]]
* [[Fastpacking]]
* [[Nature trails]]
* [[Sculpture trail]] 
* [[Steig]]
* [[Themed trail]]
* [[Trail difficulty rating system]]
* [[Trail ethics]]
* [[Trail running]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book |last=Robert Moor |title=On Trails: An Exploration |publisher=Simon & Schuster |year=2016 |isbn=978-1476739212}}

{{Commons category|Trails}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Trails| ]]
[[Category:Types of thoroughfares]]
[[Category:Hiking]]