Natural Surface Trail Condition Assessessment and Implementation Plan
Arlington County, VA
Building on L/KLA’s experience planning and designing “long and skinny places,” the team, including FINA Trails LLC, is presently working with Arlington County on an inventory and assessment of natural surface trails within 36 County parks (approximately 587 acres). Phase 1 tasks included a detailed assessment of existing trails using submeter GPS and ESRI QuickCapture to collect existing GPS data with georeferenced photographs of important features and areas of concern, including wet areas, stream crossings, desire
lines/social trails and other trail management issues and positive features that support a quality trail experience. The resulting inventory includes a series of maps organized by park with trails annotated by segment. Assessment items and trail inventory photos are keyed to corresponding symbols on the maps.
Phase 2 tasks are slated to begin in 2023, including an analysis of the work completed in the inventory, development of recommendations for improvements, opportunities for enhancing trail system connectivity,
and planning-level cost estimating for improvement, as well as long-term visioning for the County’s natural trail system to guide DPR work planning into the future. Additionally, a training component provided by FINA Trails LLC will provide County staff with coursework on trail sustainability, focused on providing technical knowledge and practical experience in typical design, construction, reclamation, and maintenance activities.