What's the best trail surface? This question has been debated for decades, and the answer is still the same: it depends on the intended use, the setting, the budget, and available materials.
What's the best trail surface? This question has been debated for decades, and the answer is still the same: it depends on the intended use, the setting, the budget, and available materials. The selection of surface material for trails and paths is primarily based on the anticipated type and intensity of trail use, terrain, climate, design life, maintenance, cost, and availability. Soft surface materials cost less but require substantial maintenance and may not be suitable for some recreational activities today's trails and paths are used for. Hard surface materials, specifically concrete and asphalt, provide years of service with low maintenance.
In partnership with the Professional TrailBuilders Association, the Advancing Trails Webinar Series presents two webinars this fall on types of trail surfaces - soil and aggregate surface.
webinar: Fundamentals of Aggregate Surface Trails
This session will include a general introduction to various types of trail surfacing and will focus on design and construction factors specific to aggregate surfaced trails.
webinar: Basic Soil Mechanics for Trailbuilding
This session will provide applicable knowledge of soil including soil description, grain size distribution and its measurement, clay plasticity, and compaction curves and the importance of water.
Recorded webinars that you might like
Understanding Trail Aggregates: Foundation for Performance
Nov 20, 2025
Lay the groundwork by explaining the basics of aggregates, the range of material options available, and why material selection matters. Trail uses include both pedestrian and vehicular pathways in rural and urban settings.
Fundamentals of Aggregate Surface Trails
Dec 5, 2024
This session will include a general introduction to various types of trail surfacing and will focus on design and construction factors specific to aggregate surfaced trails.
Choosing Horse-Friendly Surface Materials
posted Oct 17, 2024
Although horses and mules are sure-footed in the wild, surfaces need to be considered when developing trails and recreation sites. How well stock can walk on a surface depends on the degree of slope and traction, the horseshoes they are wearing, the distance they must travel, and the surface material itself.
ADA Accessible Trail Improvement with Naturally Occurring, Sustainable Materials
posted Oct 6, 2024
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides specific guidelines and requirements that must be met in terms of accessibility. However, in the case of unpaved trails, the requirements are less defined.
Building a Permeable, Low Maintenance Recreational Trail Along a Shoreline
posted Apr 7, 2023
In 2009, the city of The Colony planned to build a recreational trail (10 foot-wide, 3.5 mile pathway) that would run along the lake’s shoreline, contouring to its natural shape and providing residents with a picturesque route for outdoor activities such as walking, jogging, and cycling. The city selected the GEOWEB® Soil Stabilization System due to its flexibility to conform to curves, surface permeability, and low maintenance design.
posted Jul 15, 2022
This research investigated the influence of several use-related, environmental, and managerial factors on soil loss on recreational trails and roads at Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, a unit of the U.S. National Park Service.
