• Bear in mind that the best tread surface is achieved by planning the trail route over the most suitable soils.
  
  
• Consider firmness, evenness, dryness, strength, and appearance in selecting the type of tread surface. Avoid surfacing requirements by locating trails on well drained coarse-textured soils. Avoid clay, organic soils or pure sand soils.
  
  
• Decide if the trail will be used by maintenance vehicles. Prepare the trail sub-base accordingly.
  
  
• If tread surfacing is not planned, retain the existing cover of native sod, organic matter and soil material. The native sod may remain intact after light pedestrian use, while heavier use will eventually result in a mineral soil tread. Remove native sod to create a mineral soil tread only if the soils are coarse-textured and stable.
  
  
• If surface material is required on finer textured soils, excavate a bed to receive the material. Apply a minimum thickness of crushed 25 mm gravel or local equivalent. Roll or tamp the surface to achieve satisfactory compaction and tread durability.
  
  
• Mix clay or limestone dust into sandy tread soils to help bind the soil particles and provide a firm walking or riding surface.
  
  
• In fine textured or wet soils provide a barrier between the granular surface material and the native mineral soil. Consider porous synthetic fabrics (such as Mirafi) that allow passage of water and yet help contain the surfacing material. Weigh the benefits of these types of fabrics against the maintenance costs that result when the fabric becomes exposed after heavy use. In very wet muddy areas, use a layer of logs or build a boardwalk.

Wood chips blend well with most natural surroundings and are quiet and comfortable to walk on. They are not firm enough for bicycle or special needs trails, and scatter too easily for equestrian trails. If chips are over 75 mm deep, walking is difficult. Wood and bark shreds are similar to chips, but they require less maintenance and compact better to provide a firmer footing. The shreds bind together to form a mat-like surface that allows water infiltration and holds soil particles in place.

Wood chips do not compact well and will spread unless the tread is lined with stones or logs. On slopes the chips may become slippery when wet. Avoid using chips on a sloping tread. Chips tend to remain damp and may become slippery. Sawdust compacts fairly well but has the disadvantage of "drawing" moisture from the ground. Avoid wood chips (and shavings) and sawdust on cycling trails or trails for handicapped people.

• Consider producing chips on location using mechanical chippers and using branches and saplings cleared from the trail.
  
  
• Avoid cedar wood chips since toxic leachates could enter watercourses. Use hemlock, spruce, pine or fir chips.
  
  
• Specify small and flat chips. Use log or timber stringers at the trail edges to hold the chips in place. Alternatively, grub out organic material to create a bed for the chips. Top-dress the trail once a year to replace rotting chips.
  
  
• If a thick surface is required, use a base of crushed stone or soil cement under the chips.

Crushed stone (gravel) provides a smooth, firm, durable surface that is very suitable for trails with high use requirements. Crushed stone surfaces are more easily repaired than asphalt surfaces and the patched areas do not show.

Gravel trail surfaces are suitable for a wide range of trail activities. Clay-gravel mixtures provide a trail surface that approaches asphalt or concrete in consistency and helps reduce the spreading seen on gravel only trails.

Sorted or pit run gravel is relatively inexpensive if locally available. It compacts well and is durable and smooth. Gravel surfaces can become very dusty. Avoid attempts to remedy the situation with chemicals, such as calcium chloride (CaCl), because the chemicals will kill vegetation along trail edges.

• Grade the material to a maximum size of 20 mm mixed with smaller sizes to ensure stability. Apply gravel surfaces as outlined below:

- remove surface vegetation,
- apply and compact 50-150 mm of pit run gravel if required,
- apply and compact 50 mm of crushed gravel,
- grade the surface and "crown" the trail to facilitate proper drainage.



• Use 3/4 inch (19 mm) or 1/2 inch (12 mm) crushed angular stone. Avoid round stones as these will not bind well. Use rounded stones only if slow walking speeds with no bicycles or wheel-chair access is planned.
  
  
• Mix the crushed stone with a binding agent such as stone fines, limestone dust or asphalt emulsion to provide a durable surface.
  
  
• Excavate the trail tread to a depth of 150 mm or as specified, place and compact the crushed stone. Use a mechanical roller or hand tamper for compaction.

Crushed limestone is similar to gravel surfaces. Limestone is generally rolled to provide a smooth surface suitable for most uses, but must be graded regularly to maintain an even tread. Use construction procedures similar to those for gravel surfaces.

Soil Cement

• Soil cement produces a hard, durable trail surface by mixing several centimetres of parent material (preferably gravel) with cement and water. When properly "crowned" this tread will shed surface water with little or no erosion. Use this surface on very heavily used trails. It is not suitable for equestrian use because the surface is too hard for the horse's hoofs.
  
  
• Use cement and asphalt to bind the soil particles and increase the durability of the existing soil.
  
  
• Improve the trail surface with a sealing coat of asphalt and stone chips. This surfacing is less costly than stone chips since relatively little material has to be imported to the site.
  
  
• Consider adding cinders to form a compact and smooth surface suitable for most types of trail activities, including special needs and equestrian trails. Through wear, the upper layer of cinders breaks down to fill the interstices in the underlying cinders, creating a durable sealed surface.
  
  
• Use surface cinders with a 15 mm or less diameter.

Bituminous concrete (asphalt) trails with a compacted gravel sub-base are suitable for Type I foot and bicycle trails. Although development costs are high, annual maintenance costs for paved trails are much lower than for trails with other types of surface treatments.

• Remove all vegetation during asphalt trail base preparation. Excavate to place a gravel sub-base of 100-150 mm. Crown the slope to facilitate proper drainage.
  
  
• Apply a 50 mm asphalt lift. Roll and compact as specified.
  
  
• Consider a chip-sea] asphaltic surface, where a layer of crushed gravel is rolled over a base of asphalt.
  
  
• Consider a primer coat to help prevent vegetation from penetrating the pavement.

Fine, compacted shale is similar or superior to compacted gravel in wearability and construction procedures. If the shale is coarse, crush it prior to installation.

• Crown and roll the surface for a durable, water shedding surface.
  
  
• Decomposed granite provides a smooth compacted trail finish, but may become muddy in areas with heavy rainfall. Some types of granite are better suited for trails. Test the material selected prior to specifying it for a large job.