Planning and Developing Trails and Routes - Tourism and Trails: Cultural, Ecological and Management Issues - page 208

and the ways in which compliance might affect the overall visitor experience
(Moore & Shafer, 2001: 10), suggesting that some modifications would dimin-
ish the experience for many people. By the same token, research has shown
that perceived obstacles, such as a lack of ramps, appropriate surfaces and the
right kinds of interpretive media, keep many people with disabilities from
using trails (Bell, 2008; Haynes & Cope, 1998; Young, 1998).
Short paths in national parks, outdoor museums, historic cities or archae-
ological parks are the easiest to modify for access. Portions of rail-trails, smooth-
surface footpaths, equestrian tracks and even water trails can be modified
to become at least partially compliant with access laws. Where new trail
tread surfaces are installed, adding new infrastructure elements (e.g. bridges,
boardwalks, railings, signs), remodeling built features (e.g. toilets, picnic
areas, benches, gates, steps), hardening trail surfaces, or rerouting or widen-
ing an existing trail are all instances where accessibility guidelines and com-
pliance can be met (Kirschbaum et al. , 1999). The primary difficulty comes
with mountain hiking trails, particularly those on acute slopes, where
access for all is difficult at best. However, even in this instance, limited
accommodations can be made at trailheads and visitor centers (Trójnara,
1997), where less-mobile visitors can view interpretive displays, watch
videos about the trail, or participate in hands-on nature activities related to
the local environment.
Typically, compliance with access legislation entails physical changes to
existing routes and their infrastructures, as well as planned adaptations to
newly developed trails. Each country's laws will determine the exact speci-
fications required for trails to be compliant, but several key recommenda-
tions can be highlighted based upon the ADA Accessibility Guidelines for
parks and protected areas.
These compliances are not as simple as ramps and handrails but entail
much more by way of passage width, gradient, surface stability, sign and
drinking fountain height, toilet facilities and interpretive media. To facilitate
wheelchairs or service animals, trails should be designed to minimum width
specifications which will allow pedestrians or cyclists to bypass wheelchairs
or service animals, or vice versa. Common guidelines suggest that, where
physically possible, hiking trails should be a minimum of 900 mm wide with
adequate passing spaces every 200-300 meters (Figure 6.10). For multi-use
trails, the width should be greater, in the range of 2.5-3.0 meters (Malibu
Parks, 2006).
On purposely developed hiking trails, slope or grade is also an important
consideration for universal access. Multi-use trails typically require more
moderate grades than hiking trails do, usually within the range of 10-20%,
although there are usually rules pertaining to how much of a trail (length) is
allowed to be designed at various grades to be compliant (Malibu Parks,
2006). According to Watson (1982), for convenient access by wheelchair, trail
slopes should be 5% or less.