TRAL 1023 - Trail Construction

•    Identify and explain the essential elements of trail construction, including drainage, 
entry/exit points, flow, materials, and adaptive bike guidance.
•    Apply various construction techniques, such as adoption/adaption of existing trails, rake and 
ride, hand-built trail construction, and machine-built trail construction.
•    Demonstrate proficiency in safely using different tools and machinery for trail construction.
•    Evaluate construction specifications for trail projects.
•    Implement corridor clearing techniques, including vegetation management and fall zone 
considerations.
•    Construct trails by hand, considering technical aspects, user expectations, and features like 
berms, drops, and rock gardens.
•    Demonstrate utilization of mechanized equipment for efficient trail construction, including 
tree and boulder removal, water management, and fall zone preparation.
•    Identify water management and drainage features, water crossing structures, retaining walls, 
tread hardening, and trailside structures.
•    Research agency-specific skills, including blasting certification, inventory and assessment, 
bridge inspection, contracting officer representation, and sawyer certification.
•    Collaborate with a local trail organization to complete a real-world trail construction 
project.
 

General Education Outcomes Supported
•Students develop higher order thinking skills.

•Students gain greater awareness of cultural perspectives.•Students develop effective oral communication skills.

•Students can achieve mathematical literacy.•Students will demonstrate technological fluency.

•Students demonstrate information literacy.

Standard Practices

Topics List
•    Trail Construction Safety
o  PPE
o  Tool and Equipment safety
o  Worksite Hazard Assessment and Safety Inspections
o  Fall Protection
o  Excavation and Trenching Safety
o  Environmental Considerations
o  Communication and Signage
o  Material Handling and Storage
o  Incident Reporting
o  Worker Health and Hygiene
•    Trail Elements
o  Drainage
o  Entry/Exit points & Fall zones
o  Flow, fun & play
o  Materials
o  Speed management
o  Adaptive Bike Guidance
o  Revegetation and protection of vegetation
o  Trail Compaction
o  Overview of different tools, machinery, and software used in trail construction
•    Construction Techniques

o  Adoption/adaption of existing trail
o  Rake and Ride
o  Hand Built
o  Machine Built
•    Trail Construction Skills
o  Construction Specifications
o  Corridor Clearing
o  Hand-Built Trail Construction
o  Mechanized Trail Construction
o  Trail Finishwork
•    Water Management/Drainage Features
o  Water Crossing Structures
o  Retaining Walls
o  Tread Hardening
o  Trailside Structures / Dispersed Recreation
•    Agency Specific Skills
o  Blasting Certification
o  BLM Inventory, Assessment, Monitoring
o  Bridge Inspection
o  Sawyer Certification
•    Collaborative Partnerships
o  Collaborative trail construction project with Trailblazers or a local organization
Learning Activities
•     Interactive lectures
•     Practical hands-on exercises
•     Equipment and tool demonstrations
•     Guest speakers from trail construction organizations
•     Group discussions and case studies
•     Fieldwork and site assessments
•     Field visits to trail construction sites
•     Fieldwork and hands-on trail construction
•     Guest speaker sessions and agency-specific skill workshops

Assessments
•     Quizzes and examinations (20%)
•     Trail construction project and presentation (30%)
•     Construction technique demonstrations (15%)
•     Agency-specific skills reports (10%)
•     Class participation and discussions (15%)
•     Final collaborative trail construction project (10%)

Grading Guidelines
•     A (90-100%)
•     B (80-89%)
•     C (70-79%)
•     D (60-69%)
•     F (Below 60%)