Sustainable Trails

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Trails are a gateway to family time outdoors.

2011 STIHL-sponsored photo contest submission by Kent Lambke 

Building a trail system requires some short-term effort, but it will give back for generations provided it’s done in a way that’s sustainable. So what does that really mean? Sustainable trails are built to have as little impact on the environment as possible and to integrate with the surrounding landscape. They are also built to make trail use and maintenance as simple and low-cost as possible.

No one knows trails better than the National Park Service, which operates about 400 parks that welcome more than 275 million visitors a year. The Park Service defines a sustainable trail as one that:

• Supports recreation today and tomorrow with minimal impact on nearby ecosystems.
• Leaves soil intact, allowing vegetation to inhabit the area.

• May requiring pruning or removal of nearby plants to ensure proper trail construction and maintenance.

• Doesn’t harm wildlife.

• Requires a minimal amount of trail maintenance.