Nature Trails and Mixed Routes - Tourism and Trails: Cultural, Ecological and Management Issues - page 64

remote than many other kinds. They are located primarily on the outer
perimeters or deep inside recreation areas and parklands and are much less
accessible by wheeled traffic than other forms. They typically have natural
surfaces and are sometimes known as 'single-track' trails. The second type
is recreational greenway trails, or 'natural corridors of open space that con-
tain a trail' (Moore & Driver, 2005: 265) (Figure 3.1). The term sometimes
refers to a trail within a greenbelt, and sometimes it refers to the greenway
itself. The most essential characteristic of this form is its location near or
within urban or suburban areas. The precise terms, however, are recreational
greenway, to refer to the natural corridor where the trail is located, and gre-
enway trail, to refer to the trail within the greenway. Third are multiple-use
trails. These are typically wider than other trails and surfaced with hardened
tread to withstand a wider range of activities and a higher intensity of use.
These multi-use trails can be found in many different locations but are most
common in recreational greenways. Water trails are Moore and Driver's
(2005) fourth classification of natural pathways and can be based upon any
coastal or fluvial water body (e.g. lakes, oceans, rivers) that allow users to
row, paddle or motor along a defined water corridor. Many such routes cover
long distances and are utilized for multi-day experiences with campgrounds
located along the waterway. The final type of trail examined by Moore and
Driver is rail-trails - one of the most popular outdoor resources in North
America today. These trails are aligned with, and typically built over, the
former courses of disused railway lines and are officially designated recre-
ation and transportation passageways. Most rail-trails include elements of
nature and culture, as they pass through towns, villages and cities and bypass
old factories, farms and train stations.
Figure 3.1 A greenbelt trail in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA