Outdoor Developed Areas: A Summary of Accessibility Standards for Federal Outdoor Developed Areas

Trail Facilities

Camping and Picnic Facilities and Viewing Areas on Trails [F247.4]

When camping and picnic facilities or viewing areas are constructed or altered along a trail, they must comply with the applicable scoping and technical requirements for the facility, regardless of whether the trail complies with the technical requirements for trails. The scoping and technical requirements for camping and picnic facilities and viewing areas are discussed in the sections of this guide on camping and picnic facilities and viewing areas.

ORARs are not required to connect trails to camping and picnic facilities, viewing areas, and pit toilets along the trails. On trails that comply with the technical requirements for trails, the routes that connect the trails to camping and picnic facilities, viewing areas, and pit toilets along the trails, including accessible elements within the facilities, must comply with the technical requirements for trails. On trails that do not comply with the technical requirements for trails, there are no technical requirements for the routes that connect the trails to camping and picnic facilities, viewing areas, and pit toilets along the trails.

Where bridges are provided along trails that substantially comply with the technical requirements for trails, the bridges must also be constructed to meet the trail technical requirements.

Outdoor Constructed Features Along Trails [F247.5]

When outdoor constructed features, such as benches (figure 11), picnic tables, or trash and recycling receptacles, are provided along a trail, at least 20 percent, but no less than one, of each type of element provided at each location on the trail (other than within camping and picnic facilities and viewing areas, which have their own scoping requirements for outdoor constructed features) must comply with the applicable technical requirements for the element, regardless of whether the trail complies with the technical requirements for trails. The technical requirements for outdoor constructed features are discussed in the section of this guide on outdoor constructed features.

Figure 11—A bench is an example of an outdoor constructed feature along a trail.