Scheduled for June 8-11th
THIS IS A PAST TRAINING. Join the WTN Americas and New Hampshire State Parks for this four-day collaborative workshop on how to develop sustainable, forward-thinking design solutions that address erosion, overcrowding, safety concerns, and long-term trail resilience.
Across the US and other places, public and conserved land managers are confronting trails that have been “loved to death.” In New England, many trails are reaching 150- 200 years old and have suffered from erosion and vegetation loss, and hiker accidents are increasing, often involving inexperienced visitors on difficult and damaged trails. One prominent example is Artists Bluff in Franconia Notch, New Hampshire. Once a celebrated viewpoint frequented by famed 19th-century landscape painters, the site now attracts more visitors daily during peak foliage season, leading to serious trail degradation, safety concerns for the over 3,000 people who have crowded the trail to the overlook., and growing public alarm.
A new vision for sustainable pedestrian trail design is taking shape, however, and an upcoming workshop hosted by the World Trails Network - Hub for the Americas (WTN) will address these issues directly. From June 8–11, 2026, an intensive four-day professional development session will focus on Artists Bluff as a case study. The event is tailored for experienced trail designers, contractors, engineers, landscape architects, and land managers. Participants will develop forward-thinking, sustainable design solutions addressing overcrowding, erosion, and long-term trail resilience.
The WYN has assembled a faculty of professional trail builders, designers, and landscape architects from Peter Jensen and Associates, LLC, and Town 4 Trail Services, LLC, working in collaboration with the State of New Hampshire. The Professional TrailBuilders Association (PTBA) is financially supporting the event with tuition assistance for 24 selected participants, alongside American Trails, providing marketing and continuing education credits, and the Boston Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, offering continuing education credit documentation.
This four-day, hands-on workshop will take place on the mountainside in Franconia Notch and will include both fieldwork and classroom learning. Workshop outcomes will be submitted to the New Hampshire Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) to inform future planning, partnership, and funding decisions, and WTN is considering possible private donations and support. Each participant will earn professional development hours, with topics aligned to full and expert-level skills within the Project Planning and Design category of the Trail Competency Framework (https://www.trailskills.org/skills/project-planning-and design).
The workshop will also be filmed for a PTBA/American Trails webinar, serving as a model for future regional and national professional development programs. This course builds on ongoing collaboration between WTN and Peter S. Jensen Associates, LLC in Franconia Notch under the Restore the Ridge initiative for the Franconia Ridge Loop Trails. WTN has provided private funding for the sustainable restoration of the Old Bridle Path, with the future to rebuild sections of the Falling Waters Trail. Upon completion in 2027, nearly two miles of state park trails will be reconstructed—extending their life and ecological value for another century.
Workshop Highlights
Application and Logistics
American Trails is offering the following learning credits for this workshop (included in workshop cost): AICP CM, LA CES, NRPA CEU, and CEU/PDH via other accepting organizations.
Published March 2026
