Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Trail and Trail Bridge Maintenance Accomplishments

Image of trail workers posing on a bridge.
Annual Trail and Trail Bridge Maintenance Accomplishments and a Snapshot of the Inventory


Trail managers, volunteers, and partners across national forests and grasslands work hard each year to manage and maintain National Forest System trails and trail bridges. Their work is summarized nationally and regionally below.


Annual Accomplishments and a Snapshot of the Inventory

Each year trail managers, volunteers, and partners work hard to manage and maintain National Forest System trails. They enter their accomplishments into official reporting databases. These databases also store information about trail miles and infrastructure. Annual accomplishments and a snapshot of trail and trail bridge infrastructure are summarized by region below. The summary promotes accountability and celebrates the work the trail community is doing to support USDA and Forest Service goals through stewardship of National Forest System trails and accomplishment of the 10-Year Trail Shared Stewardship Challenge.

Visit the national headquarters website for a map of the Forest Service regions. Contact the National Trail Program (wo_trail_program@usda.gov) for more information about Forest Service trails and trail bridges.

Data is sourced from the Forest Service Natural Resource Manager (NRM) trail and trail bridge modules and Volunteer and Services Reports database.

Graphic image of a pie chart with NFS trails, motorized, non-motorized, and wilderness.
Graphic image of a pie chart with trail miles maintained for FY 2023.

 

Annual Accomplishments by Forest Service Region, Fiscal Year 2023

 

 

Image of a map of the Forest Service Regions
Select to view larger version

 

Graphic image of a chart with trail miles maintained by crew type.

*Represents a cumulative value that accounts for trail miles being maintained multiple times in the same year.

 

Image of Forest Service employees in the Eastern Region begin the classroom portion of their training about how to use mechanized equipment to build and maintain trails.
 
Image of FS employees rerouting portions of the Arizona National Scenic Trail in southern Arizona to a more sustainable alignment using mechanized trail equipment.
Forest Service employees in the Eastern Region begin the classroom portion of their training about how to use mechanized equipment to build and maintain trails. Rerouting portions of the Arizona National Scenic Trail in southern Arizona to a more sustainable alignment using mechanized trail equipment.

 

Graphic image of a chart with trail miles improved by crew type.

 

Infrastructure Snapshot by Forest Service Region, Fiscal Year 2023

Graphic image of trail miles by type.

 

Graphic image of a chart with trail bridges by type.

Great America Outdoors Act Trail and Trail Bridge Accomplishments

The Forest Service allocated more than $81 million through the GAOA Legacy Restoration Fund to address 121 projects that included trails, or major or complex trail bridges. The projects will reduce an estimated $118.5 million of deferred maintenance tasks when they are completed.

Region# of Projects Funded with a Trail or Trail Bridge AssetGAOA $ for Projects with Trails and Trail BridgesAnticipated Partner Contributions when Projects are CompletedDeferred Trail & Trail Bridge Maintenance Reduced When Projects are Completed
R120$12,123,800$955,298$29,851,297
R210$8,384,103$1,855,500$13,990,110
R314$7,640,420$180,000$6,408,248
R413$8,196,845$0$8,869,796
R58$12,714,550$95,000$12,131,747
R613$6,730,000$180,000$10,213,997
R89$14,047,000$0$18,065,278
R913$5,472,400$574,200$6,720,121
R1021$6,211,250$0$12,253,227
Total121$81,520,368$3,839,998$118,503,821

 

Trail bridge on the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming.
 
Trail bridge approach on the Chugach National Forest in Alaska.
Trail bridge on the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming. Trail bridge approach on the Chugach National Forest in Alaska.

 

National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act Highlights (Public Law 114–245)

The National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act of 2016 supports the Forest Service to significantly increase the role of partners and volunteers in trail maintenance. The Forest Service is inviting more people to help maintain trails through the following new programs:

Graphic image of trail maintenance information.
Installing a new retaining wall and steps in the Sedona Red Rock Ranger District Trail System Trail Maintenance Priority Area on the Coconino National Forest in Arizona.
 
Weber Basin Job Corps student learns how to build trail with mechanized equipment.
Installing a new retaining wall and steps in the Sedona Red Rock Ranger District Trail System Trail Maintenance Priority Area on the Coconino National Forest in Arizona. Weber Basin Job Corps student learns how to build trail with mechanized equipment.