Keeping trails in top condition not only keeps hikers happy, but it’s good for the environment!
Donor-funded trail maintenance crews makes for happy hikers, bikers, and healthy habitats. In the past, SNP Trust has helped fund overlook, picnic grounds construction, and campgrounds maintenance.
Project Title: Trail Maintenance
Project Purpose: to improve trail condition for visitor safety and enjoyment as well as reducing damage to park resources on 16 hiking/equestrian trails/roads
Project Goals:
- to support the work of two PATC volunteer crew projects
- to maintain these 16 trails following standards provided in the Backcountry and Wilderness Management Plan
Project Impact: Trail use is one of the three most frequent activities identified by park visitors. Park trail crews will improve trail condition for visitor safety and enjoyment as well as reducing damage to park resources. This project provides basic maintenance funds for safe visitor use along defined corridors to popular destinations, allowing visitors to enjoy many areas of interest (waterfalls, wilderness areas, viewpoints, etc.) as planned (without hazards and off-trail delays that may create problems for all).
Project Partners: PATC (Potomac Appalachian Trail Club)
Project Timeline: 2022 – 2023
Project Funding: $44,600
How YOU can help: SNP Trust donors can visit the funded trails or roads, or even join the trail crew working on a specific project for that day.
Crews cut open 100% trust funded fire roads, hut access road and trails. Crews completed vegetation removal on 100% of Trust funded trails and fire roads. The High-top Hut access road’s tread was completely repaired to meet safe UTV operating standards.
The trail crew had numerous work orders to complete for several
trails, hut access, and administrative roads that are normally difficult to support with competitive NPS funding. Trust funding allows maintenance that would be otherwise onerous or impossible to complete for the benefit Park’s sightseers, hikers, and equestrians. To date the routine, yet crucial maintenance work we have completed includes; tree removal, vegetation control, and begun plans to begin erosion mitigation work. Funding this maintenance work has allowed park visitors to safely access and enjoy Shenandoah’s interior wilderness, observation points, and waterfalls. Without this funding, these areas would be overrun with impassable trees and overgrown vegetation.
Trails Trust Project Progress – 2019
Since February 4th, our Crews cut 288 trees off Trust funded trails. Crews marked 5 miles of park boundary. Crews maintained 75.5 miles of trails to SNP standards outlined in the Backcountry and Wilderness Management Plan.
In 2018, crews cut over 500 trees off of Trust-funded trails. Crews maintained an additional 65 miles of trails to SNP standards outlined in the Backcountry and Wilderness Management Plan. Crews marked 5 miles of the park boundary and blazed new sections of the Dickey Ridge Connector Trail.
