National Trail Surfaces Study

Recommendations for Future Research

The evaluation of the 11 trail surface materials in this study has provided valuable information in regards to soil stabilizers and natural aggregate trails installed in the Midwest region. Research of this kind did not exist until the formulation of this study. The information obtained from this study can serve as a point of reference for other entities in the Midwest region that will be installing natural surface trails on areas with low volume of traffic.

Environmental factors such as rain, frost, and thaw conditions, shaded versus sunny trail segments, soil composition, and natural drainage play a critical role in the firmness and stability of a trail surface. Utilizing the data collected from this study to compare to installations of the same materials in other regions of the country are necessary.

The data collected for each trail segment denotes that all of the trail surfaces meet some varying degree of firmness and stability; further research should be conducted using human test subjects to determine the accuracy of the degrees of firmness and stability. A larger sample of individuals with disabilities who use a variety of different mobility devices (manual and power wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, etc.) should be tested on these surfaces.

A cost comparison of natural aggregate trail surfaces and trail surfaces that are composed of soil stabilizers should be conducted. This cost comparison should involve the cost of the product, the cost of any additional aggregate necessary for stabilizer mix and/or the trail base, the equipment and labor costs associated with the installation, and the maintenance costs associated with ensuring the surface maintains itself as a firm and stable surface. The long-term maintenance costs for different surfaces could drive the purchasing decision and have greater influence with decision makers if more research data on this question were available to trail managers.