Go to the Home page
About PTBA Switchback construction by Donald Hays Trail Contractor, Inc., click to visit
Site Map — Find the off-the-beaten-path info
About the Professional Trailbuilders Association
Contact information
Info on individual trail contractors Find contractors for your particular project Our annual conference for trailbuilders Find, buy, and sell trailbuilding equipment, tools, and supplies Trail information resources
Resource Links
Web links Publications Training Resources Trail Employment Available Trail Employment Wanted
Harvey Bell Award PTBA News & Archive Suggestion Form

Trail Training Resources and Trainers

PTBA is a partner in the National Trails Training Partnership (NTTP), a private-sector partnership agreement to promote trails training and exchange of trails resource information. We offer the following forms of trail-specific training.

Annual Trailbuilders Conference—March 9-14, 2008
PTBA’s annual Trailbuilders Conference is the nation’s only conference devoted to trail design, construction, and maintenance issues. The upcoming conference on March 9-14 , 2008 will feature hours of broad and deep trail design, construction, and maintenance information by leading professional trail contractors and designers.

The Trailbuilders Conference is an ideal off-season way to learn and network with trailbuilders nationwide. We’ve also kept costs low in order to encourage more agency staff and volunteers to attend. Conference details.

Customized Onsite Trainings
Trail contractors are highly mobile and can hold custom workshops and trainings at your own project sites and facilities. Their wide range of experiences with different trail types, ecosystems, field conditions, and agency types/characteristics give them the perspective and skills/knowledge base to provide focused trainings that produce results.

The following experienced trail contractors offer custom trainings and workshops to fit your needs. All are knowledgeable in:

  • sustainable, cost-effective trail design, construction, and maintenance techniques
  • trail planning methods
  • working with and training agency staff and/or volunteers
  • training staff and volunteers to be trail crew leaders and crew workers
  • different trail types and users (hiking, equestrian, mountain bike, natural surface, hard surface, crushed stone, ATV, OHM, ORV, etc.) (experience with specific trail types varies by contractor).

In addition, based on their past experience, each trainer has particular strengths. These are listed only briefly and are not inclusive — please contact individual contractors for details. Each has more areas of expertise than can be listed here. Feel free to make inquiries with any of these trainers. Any and all negotiations are private between you and individual contractors.

Company name links lead to individual trainer presentations within the PTBA site. You can also find additional trail contractors by geographic location, special expertise, or on a list of all trail contractor members.

CONTRACTOR OFFERING TRAINING CONTACT INFO STRENGTHS and EMPHASES (NOT INCLUSIVE—CONTACT TRAINERS FOR DETAILS)
Troy Duffin
Alpine Trails, LLC
PO Box 2782
Park City, UT 84060
(W) 435-655-0779
(cell) 435-655-5776
Fax 435-655-0779
troytrails@aol.com
www.alpine-trails.com
Land use planning and property management in urban/semi-urban areas, working with landowners, site plans and master planning, government approvals, all aspects of soft-surface multiple-use trails. Instrumental in developing a multi-jurisdictional, multiple-use trail system in the resort town of Park City, Utah.
Tony and Danna Boone
Arrowhead Trails, Inc.
11121 County Road 240
Salida, CO 81201
(W/H) 719-539-2817
ati@arrowheadtrails.com
www.arrowheadtrails.com
Designer/builder of sustainable, multi-use and mountain bike trails. Crew training is available for one-day workshops or week-long intensive professional trainings. Sustainable trail design and construction training agenda includes project planning, developing and implementing trail logs, tool use and safety, construction specifications, construction techniques, volunteer and crew management, land stewardship and ethics, mechanized construction, and physical fitness on the trail. Also a SWECO trail dozer dealer.
Roger Bell
Bellfree Contractors, Inc.
505 West Cypress
Redlands, CA 92373
(W/H) 909-793-4501
Fax 909-793-6921
rog@naturtec.com
www.naturtec.com
{Board Member-PTBA}
Long experience in all types of trails and trail issues, deeply involved in ADA/accessible trail issues and guidelines, Board member of American Trails. Practices hybrid contracting, i.e. building what a contractor can build most efficiently while training youth crews or volunteers in how to do the lighter or easier work. In addition to trail layout and construction, specialized training areas include installation of lightweight fiberglass bridges, use and installation of soil stabilizers and Geoweb®, and use of power tools and tracked equipment.
Art Tuftee
Concept Construction
1854 N. 52nd St.
Seattle, WA 98103

W/H: (206) 675-8429

arttuftee@aol.com
Design, construction, and maintenance of mountain bike trails. Consulting on minimizing impacts while enhancing rider experience. Quality stonework and carpentry.
Scott Linnenburger
IMBA Trail Solutions
PO Box 7578
Boulder, CO 80306

W: 303-545-9011
Fax: 303-545-9026

scott@imba.com
www.imba.com
The International Mountain Bicycyling Association's Trail Solutions team specializes in mountain bike and shared-use trail design, construction, and management education, has produced a 272-page, full color trailbuilding manual and led educational trainings for the numerous municipal, state, and federal land management agencies across the U.S. as well as the UK, Australia, Mexico, and Israel. Training courses can be set up for any length of time, typically between a day and a week, and can include topics such as sustainable trailbuilding, retrofitting existing trails for mountain bike use, trail-based economic development, freeride and downhill mountain bike design and construction, trails and risk management, hybrid contracting, and mechanized traibuilding.
Troy Scott Parker
Natureshape LLC
8285 Kincross Drive
Boulder, CO 80301
(W/H) 303-530-1785
Fax 303-530-4757
tsparker@natureshape.com
www.natureshape.com
Workshops, books, and publications on naturalistic and sustainable trail design, efficient construction, and effective maintenance. Emphasis on creating rewarding trail experriences for users; making the most of any site; recognizing and optimizing opportunities; using site features to increase sustainability; appropriate low-tech solutions; sequencing the trail experience; making trail structures enhance the trail experience; and optimizing native surface, crushed stone, and hard surface trails and trail structures for both physical and social sustainability. Expert in working with and training volunteers and volunteer crew leaders; training via indoor and field sessions of any length (preferably multi-day), plus publications. Extensive photo library (14,000+ images).
Gerry Wilbour
Northwest Trails, Inc.
705 Chuckanut Drive North (ZIP 98226)
PO Box 4323
Bellingham, WA 98227
(W/H) 360-671-1982
Mobile 360-739-1123
Fax 360-647-1968

Northwesttrails@hotmail.com

{President-PTBA}
Planning, design, and maintenance instruction for USFS and other government and private clients; excellent resource for extensive/heavy/technical trail construction, bridge issues, master planning and project planning, and design/build techniques.
Dennis R. Smith
NWWS, Inc.
13665 SE Le Ann Court
Boring, OR 97009
(W/H) 503-668-9126
Cell 503-780-6394
Fax 503-668-0337
nwwstrails1@earthlink.net

{Board Member-PTBA}
Training provided in trail design, construction, and maintenance that is original, unique, and creative. Classes are “indoor or outdoor” to meet your individual needs. Instruction includes training agency personnel, seasonal workers, and volunteers. Participants will gain knowledge in trail design and layout. We do away with the old civil engineer (out-of-date) mindset, focusing on the fine art of designing trails to enhance the environment and create a beneficial recreational experience for all trail users, with sustainable results. Additional training with hand tool safety and use, proper trail construction, use of the latest “mini” equipment for mechanized trail construction and repair, and understanding trail maintenance issues.
Peter S. Jensen
Peter S. Jensen & Associates, LLC
PO Box 316
Great Barrington, MA 01230
petersorenjensen@gmail.com
Multi-day workshops and trainings for federal, state, and local staff and volunteers; extensive photo library; strong stonework skills. Environmentally sound trail and land stewardship planning; innovative trail design and low impact construction/maintenance, especially in inaccessible and sensitive resource areas. Professional forestry and soil science background.
Dick Dufourd
RecConnect, LLC
20923 SE King Hezekiah Way
Bend, OR 97702-2818

W: (541) 382-8319
Fax: (541) 382-8319
Cell: (541) 419-1979

ddufourd@bendbroadband.com
www.recconnect.biz
Specializing in off-highway vehicle trail planning, design and program management, we provide seminars and workshops for groups or individuals. As a former FS/BLM OHV Program Manager and national FS OHV and snowmobile consultant, we have extensive experience in creating sustainable OHV programs by balancing recreation experiences with resource protection. Our training incorporates a mix of powerpoint presentations, interactive discussions, and field demonstrations where appropriate.

Following are some of our most popular training modules, but we can tailor any training to meet the specific needs of our clients: Conceptual Trail Planning, Trail and Facility Design, The Art and Science of Trail Location, OHV Program Management, Cooperative Interagency Management, Using Existing Infrastructure for Trails and Facilities, Managing OHVs, ATV Planning, Effective Signing, Monitoring and Monitoring Plans, Creating a Volunteer Trail Ranger (Patrol) Program, Volunteer Trail Ranger Training, Sno-Park Design.
Woody Keen and Ed Sutton
Trail Dynamics, LLC
P.O. Box 664
Cedar Mountain, NC 28718

W/H: (828) 862-5613
Fax: (828) 862-5932

trailboss@dupontforest.com
www.traildynamics.com
Trail Dynamics provides professional trail design, construction, and training services for multi-use trails in southern Appalachian landscapes.
Krista Thie and Daryl Hoyt
Twin Oaks Construction
1549 West Jewett Blvd.
White Salmon, WA 98672
(W) 509-493-2626
avery@gorge.net
Field instruction in rigging, blasting, equipment operation, trail design, bridge issues. Expert in all types of bridge work including suspension and log stringer bridges, and repair of suspension bridges. Trail contractor since 1978.

Helpful Trail Training Websites

American Trails: www.americantrails.org

National Trails Training Partnership: www.nttp.net

SFS Missoula Technology and Development Program: http://fsweb.mtdc.wo.fs.fed.us/

USFS Pacific Southwest Research Station: www.psw.fs.fed.us/

Recreational Trails Program (FHWA): www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/rectrail.htm

BLM National Training Center: www.ntc.blm.gov


Web links Publications Training Resources Trail Employment Available Trail Employment Wanted
Harvey Bell Award PTBA News & Archive Suggestion Form
Site Map for the WTBA website — see everything at a glance
Trail Contractors | Project Solutions | Trailbuilders Conference | Equipment & Materials | Resource Links

Site Map | About PTBA | Contact Us | Privacy Policy

Copyright © 1999-2006 Professional Trailbuilders Association, Inc. All rights reserved.