Paris Mountain State Park
Trail Management Plan

"A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity,
stability, and beauty of the biotic community.
It is wrong when it tends otherwise." – Aldo Leopold

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Mission Statement:

To provide sustainable trails that allow for the widest range of users while having minimal impact on the environment, to promote opportunities of connectivity to the community of Greenville, and to protect diminishing green space and the Outstanding Water Resource designation while allowing more and more people to use and enjoy Paris Mountain State Park within the scope of acceptable user loads.

Definition:

A trail is a linear route on land or water with protected status and access for recreation or transportation purposes such as walking, jogging, hiking, bicycling, mountain biking, canoeing, kayaking, and backpacking. (Trail primer)

Objectives:

  1. Trails will be shared-use for human-powered recreation.

  2. Trails should provide connectivity between points of interest.

  3. Trails should be designed with protection of the resource balanced with public access.

  4. Trails should be distributed to reduce undesirable crowding

  5. Trails should practice a loop system unless impractical.

  6. Trails should be laid out in a manner that will allow for easy incorporation with trails outside the park boundaries while maintaining a high level of operational control of traffic coming into the park.

  7. Crews working on the trail should have at least one member with a quantifiable level of prior experience

Trail Location:

Trail location should be determined by the following criteria:

  • Does it produce minimal impact on the land and water quality?

  • Does the trail location achieve the goals of its intended users?

  • Is the trail corridor visually pleasing?

  • What are the potential impacts of the trail?

  • Does the trail location take advantage of natural terrain and vegetation?

  • Does the trail location provide a trail that requires minimal maintenance?

  • Does the trail location respect private property rights and quality of life of the abutters to the park?

Proper trail location utilizes natural features and will reduce the amount of trail work required to fulfill the Trail Mission Statement.

Guidelines:

The following guidelines are to assist in selecting trail location:

  • Existing trails should be integrated with new trail construction as much as possible provided that existing trails meet minimum trail design guidelines:

  • Trail Grade:

    • Natural Surface – ¼ or less of fall line

    • Improved Surface - < 5% for handicap access, >5% with appropriate drainage

    • Exceptions to these criteria are allowed only if proper drainage and minimal erosion can be achieved, exceptions will not exceed 10 meters in continuous length.

  • The route should try to achieve maximum ecological variety (i.e. along forest edge bordering meadows, rather than crossing meadows, when possible) and should have interesting features (dense trees, rock outcropping, building, structure, vista, curve, intersection, etc.) every 100 yards

  • Trail location should utilize the maximum number of staging areas in order to disperse user loads and provide for the greatest variety of trail length options

  • Areas where endangered species exist will be avoided

  • Trails should be located to overlook streams and lakes but not be directly adjacent to water’s edge in order to prevent siltation and degradation to water quality, which might compromise the DHEC Outstanding Waters Resource Designation

  • Access points to water is acceptable but should be constructed as out and back sections to the main trail and should be located on steep slopes in order to prevent illegal trails.

  • Natural shelters along a trail should be used

  • Crossings that require bridge construction should be avoid unless natural crossings areas cannot be found.

  • Spur trails should access park facilities (campground, day-use areas, park center, etc.) rather than locating main trails through these areas.

  • Trail location should incorporate the best available views.

  • Switchbacks and climbing turns should incorporate natural features that either are points of interest, provide screen or prevent shortcuts.

  • A Clinometer should be used to determine grades in order to avoid guessing the grade.

  • Trails should not be located at zero grades because some grade is necessary to provide proper drainage.

  • Trail location should keep in mind the acceptable user’s desires at all times.

Trail Design:

Trail design techniques should be determined by the following criteria:

  • Does the trail benefit the most users with the least amount of negative impact?

  • Does the trail emphasize linkages?

  • Does the trail use on-site available natural materials that will require the least amount of long-term maintenance?

  • Does the trail design move surface water off the trail in a sheeting fashion?

  • Does the trail design keep surface water moving without taking tread material with it?

  • Does the trail design keep the trail material well drained?

The following guidelines are to assist in trail construction:

  • Design trails with the natural flow theory so that the trail goes where users want to go.

  • All natural surface trails should be constructed as full bench.

  • Trail width should be a minimum of 18"

  • Design trails using grade dips to shed water off trail. Water bars and other structural devices should not be incorporated in new trail construction.

  • Sustained downhill grades should be avoided even if they meet the 1/2 rule. Trails should be designed to have repetitive slight uphill grades to shed water, control speed without breaking, and to give a more enjoyable/natural feel.

Trail Maintenance:

Trail Maintenance techniques should be determined by the following criteria:

  • Is the cause of the reason for maintenance addressed (Fix the cause to prevent the problem)?

  • Is the proposed work on an approved maintenance log?

  • Does the maintenance meet the standards outlined in the USFS Trail Construction and Maintenance Notebook?

  • Does the maintenance work leave minimal visual scars?

The following guidelines are to assist in trail maintenance:

  • Use the door technique to determine the size of the trail corridor. Imagine the you are carrying a door as a shield and clear a corridor 8’h x 4’w being sure to prune everything back to a lateral split (see appendices for description)

  • Adhere to the USFS Standard Specifications for Construction and Maintenance of Trails, Mountain Bike Trails: Techniques for Design, Construction and Maintenance, and any other approved material found in the appendices.

  • Do not excessively prune vegetation. Tight vegetation will help control speed and provides that remote feel.

Trail Management:

Trail Management techniques should be determined by the following criteria:

  • Is there a system in place that deal with trail issues in a timely manner?

  • Are the trail users safe?

  • Is the trail protected from illegal use?

  • Is there cooperation among community regarding trail issues?

The following guidelines are to assist in trail management:

  • Develop a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) when dealing with organized groups.

  • Keep paperwork to a minimum while ensuring that the issues are properly addressed.

  • This document will be reviewed and edited every five years.

Proposed phases of Trail Management:

Phase 1

  • Close and reroute current trails that do not meet the criteria outlined

  • Create shared-use trail loops

  • Adequately train volunteers to be able to work on trails without direct park supervision

Phase 2

  • Delineate and construct trail routes that incorporate existing parking areas. These trail routes should be two separate trails to maintain shared use ethic.

  • Develop trails between front gate and shelters A & B to be handicap accessible while maintaining a natural feel.

Phase 3

  • Develop additional loop trails that explore the more remote northwest section of Paris Mountain State Park.

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