Appalachian Trail Design, Construction, and Maintenance

Book excerpt: This is the classic, comprehensive manual on how to build a footpath to withstand the beating of 8 million boots a year (some hitting the ground 5 million times), to rest lightly on the land, to preserve the natural resources around it, and to allow a true backcountry experience-all at the same time. It is addressed to those who work on the Appalachian Trail-4,500 volunteers putting in a total of more than 185,000 hours a year-but is used by veteran and novice trail-builders around the world because of the success of the Appalachian Trail system. Illustrated with more than 50 photographs and 100 explanatory drawings, this manual includes design and construction specifications and lists of tools and U.S. suppliers.