Trail Corridor

• Clearing and Brushing
• Removing Trees

The trail corridor is a zone that includes the trail tread and the area above and to the sides of it. Trail standards typically define the edges of this area as the "clearing limits." Vegetation and other obstacles, such as boulders, are trimmed back or removed from this area to make it possible to ride or walk on the tread (figure 5).

Figure 5—Terms describing the trail corridor.
Often there will be detailed dimensions
you need to know.

The dimensions of the corridor are determined by the needs of the target user and trail difficulty level. For example, in the Northern Rockies, trail corridors for traditional packstock are cleared 2.5 m (8 ft) wide and 3 m (10 ft) high. Hiker trails are cleared 2 m (6 ft) wide and 2.5 m (8 ft) high. Check with your local trail manager to determine the appropriate dimensions for each of your trails.

Clearing and Brushing

Working to wipe out your trail is no less than that great nuclear furnace in the sky—Old Sol, the sun. Working in cahoots with the mad scientist, Dr. Photosynthesis, the sun works an alchemy that converts dirt and water into a gravity–defying artifice called a plant. Seasoned trail workers will attest to the singular will and incredible power of plants. No sooner is a trail corridor cleared of plants than they begin a rush toward this new avenue of sunlight.

 E-mail: wo_mtdc_webmaster@fs.fed.us