Backslope: The engineered cut or natural excavation found on the uphill side of a trail path.
Berm: A raised edge along the outer side of the trail that may be trimmed to improve water drainage.
Blowdown: A tree that has fallen across the trail, potentially blocking the passage.
Borrow: Fill material obtained from a separate site rather than from the trail’s own excavation. Often, quality borrow material is found beneath the root systems of fallen trees.
Bucking: The process of sawing a fallen or horizontally lying log to clear it from the trail.
Bull Rail: Short guard rails positioned on either side of a bridge to prevent livestock from slipping off.
Clearing Limits: The specified height and width around a trail where vegetation and brush must be cleared—varying by user group (for example, horse trails typically require wider clearances than hiking trails).
Culvert: A drainage structure—commonly a pipe, but sometimes made of metal, plastic, concrete, wood, or rock—installed beneath a trail to channel water flow under the path.
Decking: The flat lumber affixed to a bridge’s stringers, forming the travel surface for trail users.
Drain Dip: A designed depression in the trail that directs water away from the path.
Duff: The loose, organic top layer of the forest floor composed of decomposing needles, leaves, twigs, and similar material.
Fill: Gravel or soil used to close gaps in the trail or to raise the trail’s surface.
Full Bench Cut: A construction method where the entire width of the trail tread is cut into the hillside during new trail development.
Grade: A measurement of a trail’s steepness, expressed as a percentage calculated from the vertical rise over a horizontal distance of 100 feet.
Grubbing: The process of removing roots and other organic debris from the trail area.
Inside edge: On a hillside trail, this refers to the upper (uphill) side of the path.
Inslope: A condition where the inside edge sits lower than the outside edge.
Mineral soil: Soil that contains little to no organic matter. This type compacts well and remains stable for trail construction, unlike more organic soils.
Outside edge: On a hillside trail, this is the lower (downhill) side of the path.
Outslope: Occurs when the outside edge is lower than the inside edge—a preferred design for most trails since it promotes effective drainage.
Puncheon: A boardwalk-style structure built in wet or boggy areas. Unlike a typical bridge that spans a gap, a puncheon raises the trail over the ground, usually through wetlands.
Settling basin: A deep, rock-lined pit placed ahead of a culvert to allow silt and sediment to settle before reaching the drainage structure.
Sill: Logs set on the ground that support the perpendicular stringers on a bridge.
Slough: Silt and organic debris that have slid down onto the trail, which can damage the tread and often require removal during maintenance.
Stob: The stub-like remnant left when a branch is cut from the main stem. Removing these helps prevent potential hazards for trail users.
Stringer: A long beam running along a bridge’s length that supports the overall load.
Switchback: A sharp reversal in the trail’s direction, designed to maintain a manageable grade while ascending steep terrain.
Tread: The actual travel surface of the trail.
Trail corridor: The entire area of a trail, including the tread and the adjacent zones (both to the sides and above) that must be cleared of brush and limbs.
Turnpike: A structure that elevates the trail over water-saturated ground. It uses logs or rocks along the edges to secure fill material and form an elevated, stable path