Trail Layout and Design

This workshop is devoted to establishing guidelines for laying out a safe, exciting, and ecologically sound trail. Topics covered include trail planning, soils, grades, hydrological relationships, and trail alignments, as well as trail experience concepts such as users' expectations, gateways, anchors, and trail flow. Students will learn to understand the humanity in a trail: what makes one trail more enjoyable and satisfying than another. After discussing and analyzing existing trails indoors, participants will have the opportunity to design a new trail segment. This workshop is the third in a series of workshops and work trips that will be held at Spillian in Fleischmanns, a partner with the Trail Conference and the center for Trail University workshops for the central and southern Catskills.  Ongoing workshops and work trips will held to rehabilitate and improve a network of former carriage roads and trails on the property that will be open to the public for hiking. Be prepared to spend the day on the trail: wear your hiking boots pack plenty of water bring work gloves and bring a bag lunch.