Ontario's Best Trails

Guidelines and Best Practices for the Design, Construction and Maintenance of Sustainable Trails for All Ontarians - Trails for All Ontarians Collaborative 2006

Table of Contents

• Introduction
  • Why have trails?
  • Why have guidelines and best practices?
  • A Trail is a Trail is a Trail ... NOT in Ontario
    • Hudson Bay Lowlands
    • Boreal Forest
    • Great Lakes-St.Lawrence Forest
    • Deciduous Forest
    • Ontario Soils
  • Which trails should follow these guidelines and best practices?
  • Why were these guidelines and best practices developed?
  • Who was involved in developing these guidelines and best practices?
  • What if parts of my trail cannot meet these recommendations?
    • Will following these guidelines make a trail accessible to everyone?
  • Safety and Best Practices for Trails
  • Cost of Best Practice Trails
  • What about backcountry or wilderness trails?
  • What is NOT in these Guidelines?
• Sustainable and Universal Design
  • Universal Design
    • What is universal design?
    • What are the benefits of universally designed trails?
    • How does universal design apply to trails?
      • How do universal design trails differ?
  • Sustainability
    • What is sustainability?
    • How does sustainability apply to trails?
    • What are the benefits of trail sustainability?
  • Modification of existing trails
• Guidelines for Trail Design
  • Understanding the Trail
  • Trail Layout
  • Tread
  • Slope
    • Changes in Level
  • Clear Corridor
    • User Amenities and Facilities
    • Access Points
  • Designing Trail Signs and Information Sources
  • Designing for Year-Round Use
  • Changing from Other Standards to these Guidelines
• Guidelines for Trail Construction
  • Trail Safety
  • Environmental Protection
  • Construct a Sustainable Tread
  • Constructing with Wood
  • Construct the Trail Information System
• Best Practices for Trail Construction
  • Minimizing Environmental Damage
  • Clearing the Trail Corridor
    • Clearing Limits
    • Tools Used for Clearing
      • Clearing Weeds and Dense Vegetation
      • Cutting Small Saplings and Twigs
      • Cutting Large Branches and Tree Trunks
      • Digging and Rock Moving Tools
  • Trail Drainage Structures
    • Culverts
    • Drainage Lenses
    • Open Drainage Structures
  • Constructing Trail Tread Structures
    • Tread Structures Above the Surrounding Terrain
      • Installation of Anchor Sills
      • Installation of Anchor Posts
      • Construction of Abutments
      • Ensuring Adjacent Anchors are Level
      • Attaching Stringers to Anchors
      • Attaching Decking to Stringers
      • Constructing the Approach
      • Attaching Handrails
      • Attaching Deck Edging
      • Constructing Docks
    • Elevated Tread Structures in Constant Contact with the Terrain
      • Causeway and Turnpike
      • Corduroy
  • Retaining Walls
    • Climbing Turns and Switchbacks
  • Constructing the Trail Surface
    • Prepare the Ground
    • Cut the Bench
    • Install the Tread Material
    • Compact and Shape the Tread
    • Constructing the Tread Outslope
    • Restore the Tread Environment
  • Constructed Trail Surfaces
    • Solid Materials
    • Crushed Aggregate/ Crusher Fines
    • Binding or Stabilizing Materials
    • Steps and Ladders
      • Stringer Steps
      • Rock Steps
      • Wood Steps
      • Ladders
  • Trail Signs
    • Sign Face
      • Specific Types of Signs
    • Sign Panel
    • Sign Supports
    • Sign Installation
      • Sign Panel Installation Hints
      • Painting Blazes
  • Trail Barriers
    • Fences and Railings
    • Bollards
    • Fencing Openings
      • Controlling Livestock or Animal Movement
      • Constructing a Fence Opening
    • Stiles
  • Construction of Trail Facilities and User Amenities
• Guidelines for Trail Maintenance
  • Planning Maintenace Activities
  • Maintaining Drainage
  • Maintaining the Trail Tread
  • Maintaining Trail Structures and Facilities
  • Restoring the Trail Environment
• Best Practices for Trail Maintenance
  • Design for Easy Maintenance
    • Timing the Trail Inspection for Evaluation
    • Providing Inspection Results to Trail Users
    • Closing a Trail
  • Easy Trail Maintenance - It's All in the Plan
  • Maintaining Proper Trail Drainage
    • Restoring the Tread Outslope
    • Maintaining Drainage Structure Function
      • Drain Dips/ Grade Reversals
      • Waterbars
    • Recreating Trail Structures Moved by Water Flow
    • Seasonal Wet and Muddy Areas
    • Drainage Problems from Animals
  • Maintaining the Trail Tread: Solid Surfaces
    • Concrete Trail Surfaces
      • Remove trip hazards
    • Asphalt Trail Surfaces
      • Sealing Asphalt
      • Repairing Cracks and Holes in Asphalt
    • Wooden Tread Structures
      • Replacing Cracked, Rotten or Damaged Wood
      • Replacing or Repositioning Hardware
      • Transitioning to Adjecent Surfaces
      • Shifting Support Structures
  • Maintaining the Trail Tread: Pieced Surfaces
  • Maintaining Trail Vegetation
    • Trimming and Removing Vegetation
    • Dealing with Noxious Vegetation
    • Restoring Vegetation to the Trail Environment
      • Site Preparation
      • Soil Preparation
      • Planting, Transplanting and Seeding
        • Planting
        • Transplanting
        • Seeding
      • Maintaining the Restoration Site
  • Maintaining Trail Structures and Facilities
    • Making Small Surface Repairs
    • Sign Maintenance
    • Litter and Vandalism
  • Maintaining in Sensitive Environments
    • Wetland and Riparian Areas
    • "At Risk" Species
• Appendix A: Glossary of Terms
• Appendix B: Principles of Universal Design Applied to Trails
• Appendix C: Additional Resources
• Appendix D: Organizations that Provided Feedback During the Project
• Appendix E: Trail Safety
• Appendix F: Dollars and Cents
• Appendix G: Trail Assessment

Acknowledgement

The construction and maintenance “best practices” for trails in Ontario were developed by the Trails for All Ontarians Collaborative. The Trails for All Ontarians Collaborative is a joint partnership of local, regional and provincial organizations involved in trails or representing people with disabilities.