Pennsylvania Trail Design and Development Principles
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
This guidebook, written by Pashek + MTR, is intended to be used by local officials, designers, and trail stakeholders in the planning and design of all types of non-motorized trails for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The book tapped our broad and practical knowledge of creating trails of all types, in addition to gathering opinions and ideas from many stakeholders and other experts from across the country. It details best practices in trail planning, user characteristics, design requirements, trail construction, and management of trails.
The manual covers everything from natural surface to paved trails. An entire chapter is devoted to best practices for sustainable trail design. It provides illustrations and details for trail features such as contour trails, grade dips, switchbacks, climbing turns, and rock armoring. Other features of the book include covering construction equipment and safety along with trail assessment forms to help manage and plan for emergency and routine maintenance.
