Increasing Opportunities for Access on the Appalachian Trail A DESIGN GUIDE 2007 Cover photograph: Two trail users meet on an accessible section of the Applachian Trail in Falls Village, Connecticut. Courtesy of ApplachianTrailConservancy. Increasing Opportunities for Access on the Appalachian Trail A DESIGN GUIDE 2007 Prepared by: CarlC.Demrow Seven Oaks Consulting,LLC 202 MasonRoad WestTopsham,VT05086 Published by: Acknowledgements ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Teresa Martinez of ATC and David Reus of NPS provided invaluable direction, project management, and editing from the beginning to end. Janet Zeller, Accessibility Coordinator for the US Forest Service provided support and com- ments throughout. Peter Jensen of Peter Jensen and Associates, LLC also provided guidance. Laurie Potteiger of ATC provided background on A.T. hikers with disabilities. Thanks are due to the following individuals who took the time to be interviewed for the case studies: Dick Blake, Ted Cowles, and John Marren from the AMC Connecticut Chapter A.T. Committee, and JT Horn from ATC for Falls Village; Eddie Walsh and Ed Goodell of the NY/NJ Trail Conference, Bob Sickley and Karen Lutz from ATC, and Peter Jensen from Peter Jensen and Associates, LLC, for Bear Mountain; Morgan Sommerville and Matt Davis from ATC, Carl Fritz and Ed Oliver of Tennessee Eastman Hiking Club, and Delci Dyer and Mike Rice of the US Forest Service for Osborne Farm. Laurie Anne Rinaldi of Four Corners Design provided layout, design, illustrations, and edito- rial assistance for this document. Ben Machin of Redstart Consulting produced the map for the Falls Village trails. All photographs by Teresa Martinez or Carl Demrow unless otherwise noted. The National Park Service provided funding for this project. Carl C. Demrow Seven Oaks Consulting, LLC March 2007 Page i Table of Contents Increasing Opportunities for Access on the Appalachian Trail TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Who Should Read This? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 About the Appalachian Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 I. Accessibility: What is it? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Accessibility Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 What Does an Accessible Trail Look Like? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Accessibility Awareness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Federal Legislation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Accessibility and the A.T. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 II. The Forest Service Accessibility Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 The Forest Service Trail Accessibility Guidelines (FSTAG) and The Forest Service Outdoor Recreation Accessibility Guidelines (FSORAG) A. Implementing the FSTAG Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Step 1. Determining the Applicability of the FSTAG . . . . . . . . . . 14 FSTAG and the Appalachian Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Step 1A. Determining Conditions for Departure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Conditions for Departure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Using the General Exceptions in the FSTAG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Step 2. Identifying the Presence of Limiting Factors . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Page ii Table of Contents Step 3. Applying the Technical Provisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Step 4. Calculating Cumulative Deviation Percentage . . . . . . . . . . 19 Documenting Decisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 B. Implementing the FSORAG: Trail Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 FSORAG and the Appalachian Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 1. Key Design Concepts and Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 2. Overnight Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 3. Privies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 III.Case Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Osborne Tract, Shady Valley Overlook Trail (A.T.) . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 George Pearis Cemetery Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Bear Mountain (A.T.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Falls Village Accessible Trail (A.T.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Common Themes From the Case Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 IV. Questions and Scenarios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 V. Design Principles forAppalachian Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Universal Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Terrain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Wet Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Other Physical Considerations Aside From Terrain . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Making the Decision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Appendix 1: USFS FSTAG Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Page iii Introduction “The path of the Trailway should be as ‘pathless’as possible; it should be the minimum consistent with practical accessibility.” Benton MacKaye, from ATC’s Local Management Planning Guide Increasing Opportunities for Access on the Appalachian Trail INTRODUCTION The 2,175 mile-long Appalachian National Scenic Trail traverses 14 states from Maine to Georgia. Visited by three to four million people each year, the Appalachian Trail is considered one of the most popular units of the National Park System. In 1968, the United States Congress designated the Appalachian Trail as the Nation’s first national scenic trail, “to pro- vide for maximum outdoor recreation potential and for the conservation and enjoyment of the nationally significant scenic, historic, natural, or cultural qualities of the areas through which such trails may pass”i. This law, and the extensive land protection programs that followed, underscore the significance of the Trail as one of our nation’s most important recreational and scenic resources. The Comprehensive Plan for the A.T. outlines the guiding principles for managing the A.T. It says that “The Trail will be continuous in its marking and be open to all to walk upon it.” (emphasis added) (p. 8). The purpose of this document is to build upon the core management philosophies outlined in the Comprehensive Plan including management through the Cooperative Management System; managed for traditional A.T. values and goals; diversity and character of A.T. lands will continue; maintenance and construction will be carried out in accordance with A.T. “Trail, Design, Construction, and Maintenance”; hikers are responsible for their own safety and comfort; an unregimented atmosphere and encouragement of self reliance; and providing opportunities for all hikers to experience the Appalachian Trail. This manual was a direct result of an effort by A.T. managers to navigate the many issues related to trail management and accessibility and distill the numerous nuances down to an eas- ily digested, and most importantly, user friendly document. Many sources were used in the development of this manual; however it is not intended to cover all aspects of trail manage- ment or accessibility. Rather, it attempts to integrate traditional design concepts with Page 1 Introduction increased awareness of accessibility issues to provide managers with an additional tool in sus- taining the values of the Appalachian Trail. Who Should Read This? This manual is intended for any trail manager or partner, volunteer, professional, or agency staff member who wishes to learn more about accessibility and decision making processes for trail projects considering universal design. The manual incorporates examples from existing and ongoing projects along the Appalachian Trail but may be representative of other pedestri- an trails. About the Appalachian Trail The Appalachian National Scenic Trail is a unit of the national park system and was America’s first National Scenic Trail. A footpath running primarily along the crest of the Appalachian Mountains, the Trail provides opportunities for outdoor recreation in a natural, undeveloped environment to many thousands of people each year. The Trail is managed as a scenic, natu- ral, and recreation resource for those who desire a challenging outdoor recreation experience or for those who wish to get away from the trappings of modern life. Under a unique series of cooperative agreements with the Department of Agriculture (USDA Forest Service) and Department of Interior (USDI-National Park Service), the Appalachian Trail Conservancy has accepted management responsibility for a corridor of land surrounding the Appalachian Trail footpath. These “Delegation Agreements” assign responsibility for Trail management and protection to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, which in turn has delegat- ed that responsibility to its member clubs. In effect, this makes the Appalachian National Scenic Trail America’s only volunteer-managed National Park. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) is a nonprofit educational organization of over 35,000 members dedicated to protecting and promoting the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (A.T.) along its 2,175 mile length from Maine to Georgia. The Conservancy is also a federa- tion of 30 Trail-maintaining clubs (and their 125,000 members) whose volunteers manage and maintain the A.T. [i] National Scenic Trails Act 16 U.S.C. §1242a2 Page 2 I. Accessibility:What is it? I. ACCESSIBILITY: WHAT IS IT? Accessibility Background In describing the A.T., words like remote and winding are often used. Described by Harold Allen, “the Appalachian Trail should be remote for detachment, narrow for chosen company, winding for leisure, lonely for contemplation, the Trail leads not merely North or South, but upwards to the body, mind, and soul of man.” There is a growing desire among trail partners to provide opportunities for persons with disabilities to utilize the Appalachian Trail where appropriate and feasible, so that they too may experience the Trail described by Harold Allen. However, a pedestrian trail that meets accessibility guidelines is a highly designed path, gen- erally with imported surfacing and a gentle slope. It avoids both man-made and natural obsta- cles. Accessible trails require more involved construction and maintenance techniques and resources. If it hasn’t already, accessibility will become a permanent part of the list of design considera- tions for trails and facilities. Awareness of access issues in the trail community has increased, fostered by congressional legislation and societal realities. As the aged population grows, the disabled population grows correspondingly, and as interest in nature, wildlife, physical exer- cise continues to be strong, public demand for opportunities along the Appalachian Trail con- tinues to grow. This increasing desire is reflected by increased information requests to A.T. partners for accessible recreation opportunities along the Appalachian Trail. For over a decade, the outdoor community has wrestled with the challenge of increasing recre- ational opportunities for persons with disabilities on public lands. The challenge for recreation managers is accommodating this goal while at the same time ensuring that such opportunities do not alter the settings of these recreational experiences. National policy guidance on inte- grating accessibility with outdoor recreation management on public lands, including the Appalachian Trail, resides with the U.S. Access Board. In the 1990’s, the board convened a group of outdoor recreation stakeholders, including ATC, to develop new guidelines for acces- sibility on trails and outdoor facilities. While the work of that group has been completed, the resulting guidelines have not yet been adopted as “the law of the land.” The USFS, as one of the stakeholders in the process, decided to develop its own set of guidelines to provide direc- tion and tools for land managers to address increasing requests and inquiries regarding oppor- tunities for persons with disabilities on National Forest Lands, and to attempt to demonstrate its compliance with other federal laws regarding persons with disabilities. In 2006, after a long public process, the USFS developed a set of guidelines to be utilized on all USFS lands. The USFS Trail Accessibility Guidelines (FSTAG) and the Outdoor Recreation Accessibility Guidelines (FSORAG) define how and when accessibility along trails and at facilities on U.S. Forest Service lands will be considered. Both FSTAG and FSORAG are nearly identical to the Access Board’s draft guidelines. Their adoption created a need for information regarding their application on portions of the A.T. located on National Forest lands. Because FSTAG and FSORAG are so close to the Access Board’s draft guide- lines, their adoption also created an opportunity to become familiar with application of the Page 3 I. Accessibility:What is it? Access Board’s guidelines, which will apply to the entire A.T. when and if they are adopted. With requests for information about opportunities for persons with disabilities on the A.T. con- tinuing to arise, ATC and its partners felt an overarching need to provide direction on accessi- bility. FSTAG and FSORAG currently provide the best practices for trail managers consider- ing accessibility. Some might ask, “Shouldn’t we wait until the release of the Access Board Guidelines in case they are different from the USFS guidelines?” FSTAG and FSORAG are virtually identical to the draft guidelines for trails and outdoor facilities developed by the Access Board in the late 1990’s. In the meantime, FSTAG and FSORAG offer the trail community a framework to consider increasing opportunities for access in preparation for the potential and likely adop- tion of the Access Board guidelines. What does an accessible trail look like? Trails that meet the FSTAG have a broad range of appearance. While some Accessible trails may be paved or surfaced, some are natural surfaced and just wide enough to allow for pas- sage of a person using a wheelchair. In either case, the images conjured up by the mention of a fully accessible trail are not usually in a primitive or backcountry setting like the Appalachian Trail. Accessible trail design is in some respects less about accessibility and more about sustainable trail design. Both the draft Access Board guidelines and the FSTAG follow what are called universal trail design standards. These standards are not new to trail Disabilities take many forms, and not all persons with disabilities use wheelchairs.This gentleman uses a cane while enjoying the outdoors along the A.T.in Boiling Springs, PA. Page 4