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| Natural looking stream crossing |
“Stream and river crossings present a challenge to trail
managers who need to balance difficulty levels, safety, convenience, cost,
environmental consequences, and aesthetics. Each kind of water crossing has
consequences for the recreation experience and the lands being accessed.” – Trail Construction and Maintenance Notebook
A shallow stream ford is a crossing that will last for a
long time with minimal maintenance and will provide a relatively low challenge
to users. These crossings are best constructed at wider and shallower sections
of a stream. The stream floor at the crossing is leveled so a knee-deep
crossing is consistent. If water is shallower, rocks can be placed at intervals
for stepping stones in the stream. Advantages of a shallow stream ford are they
are low cost and are more challenging for the hiker than a dry crossing.
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| Trail stream crossing |
With culverts, another form of a stream crossing, the trail’s
tread extends over the culvert without interruption. Metal or plastic culverts
are simpler ways to keep water flowing underneath a trail than a rock culvert. The
rock culvert takes much more expertise to construct.
Bridges cover a broad range of designs, from the simple to
more costly suspended spans. Forest service bridges all require handrails unless
it can be shown that the risk of falling off the bridge is minimal or the trail
itself presents a higher risk. Log footbridges are one form of an elevated
crossing. Bridges can be expensive, especially when materials must be delivered
or packed into a site.
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| Single log bridge construction with handrail |
Next: Trail Science 105 – Other trail elements
