Building Accessible Trails

Regional Trails Fellow, Larz von Huene, highlights the challenges of creating accessible outdoor trails compared to streets, which have clear ADA guidelines. Larz recounts a hike with Enock Glidden, an Outdoor Accessibility Specialist, who points out subtle obstacles on traisl that make them difficult for wheelchair users, even when the trails appear to be well-maintained. The essay also discusses efforts to improve trail accessibility, like adding hard packed gravel surfaces, benches, and handicapped parking spots, which not only enhance accessibility but also promote inclusivity by addressing physical and social barriers to trail use. Larz expresses hope that, through community input and continued improvement, trails can become more welcoming and accessible to all.

When it comes to streets, a set of ADA guidelines creates a readily available and detailed report of how to make a street wheelchair accessible. Such a rigid guide for trails is not commonplace, and trail builders are met with the challenge of building trails that are both accessible and suitable to the natural environment. Accessibility, in the outdoors world, is variable, which can be both a blessing and a curse.

A couple of weeks ago I went to walk on two different trails with Enock Glidden, Development Coordinator at Maine Adaptive Sports and Recreation and Outdoor Accessibility Specialist at Center for Community GIS. He was out testing the accessibility of a handful of Portland’s trails, one of which Portland Trails had hopes to build into a fully transportational trail, with access for all. Walking through the woods with Enock, it was clear that the trails, though well maintained and hardpacked and Enock an experienced trail user, featured obstacles requiring assistance. Enock, smiling throughout, pointed out the little places that I had glazed over; a bridge with a two-inch bump up onto it, a sharp incline with just enough roots to make it even sharper, or a path narrowed by a boulder on one side. It was clear that we could do better.

One quick suggestion from Enock was to bulk up our trail descriptions. Having used a couple of hiking guides myself, I could resonate with this one. It’s impossible to know what kind of trail you are getting yourself into just from a map. Will there be rock scrambles? River crossings? Will it be eroded or muddy? Will it be hard? That last question, subjective in every way, is one that hiking apps and guides love to answer. A bulky trail description, alongside some stats on trail width and grade, went from, in my mind, beneficial to necessary. Enock has a whole series of blog posts found here: https://www.mainetrailfinder.com/stories/category/enocks-adventures where he shares his experiences on many Maine trails.

Aside from understanding what a trail will be like, setting to improve trails for accessibility means creating more options for all mobility types and means bringing more people outdoors. I spent a quick thirty minutes watching and helping as Jaime Parker and Eli Parker of Portland Trails improved the Evergreen Loop, one of the trails in Evergreen Woods. As they poured gravel onto the path, working to create a hard and even surface, Jaime went over some of the other aspects that he wanted to work on such as installing more benches and adding a handicapped parking spot. The hardpacked gravel he was adding is a permeable surface type, which encourages a healthy ecosystem and maintains the natural trail feeling of being out in the woods. The benches and parking indicate other obstacles that trail users may experience, and are essential to work on alongside the trail itself.

A machine being used to lay gravel on the Evergreen Loop trail in the Evergreen Woods.

The Evergreen Loop will be ready for use by the end of the summer, and will be a large improvement to what it was before. Looking at other trails, such as the All Persons Trail in Manchester, New Hampshire, makes me excited about how much more accessible trails can be, and not just in terms of mobility. Physical barriers, such as a trail with no alternative transportation access or narrow spaces that not all body types can pass through, and social barriers, such as language on signs and the feeling of danger, are major barriers that keep people from getting out into the woods. Through community input and listening to voices like Enock’s I hope we can create a trail system that supports everyone.

About Larz

Larz grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts, where they grew a love of parks and plants. They attended Smith College, where they largely were involved in the Botanic Garden. They graduated with a degree in Biology and Landscape Studies and continued post-graduation to research atmospheric science and ecology in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Living and working close to the summit of Mt. Washington, they spent a lot of time hiking and exploring the beautiful mountain trails. Outside of work, Larz likes to climb, make art, and do crosswords. They are excited to learn more about the planning, maintenance, and development of urban trails in their new position as Resilience Corps Fellow.