Description
Participating in trail-related activities may be challenging for people with either a permanent or temporary mobility impairment due to various levels of trail difficulty and nonexistence of a trail difficulty rating system based on official disability regulations. When it comes to meeting the needs of people with mobility limitations, one of the most important sustainability concepts in the tourism industry is reducing inequities (Buhalis et al., 2012). Nonetheless, disparities persist with regard to how accessible trails are to different populations of individuals (Chikuta et al., 2019; Lepoglavec et al., 2023). Attempting trails which are not suitable for a mobility impaired user may expose them to health and safety risks (Hong et al., 2015). In most trail information maps and interactive applications, there is generally no information about trail difficulty based upon the rating criteria recognized by official authorities for disabilities. Existing trail difficulty rating systems are based solely on either primarily qualitative criteria or upon hiker energy consumption (Hugo, 1999a, 1990b) and estimated trail user energy consumption characteristics such as hiking speed. Therefore, a more useful trail difficulty and accessibility rating system would significantly enrich the trail classification framework through an innovative approach designed for mobility impaired users. Consequently, this research aims to propose a new approach to underpin trail classification framework that can be used to assess trails and trail segment accessibility and difficulty levels. This research applied a mixed method approach, developing a classification approach and using data based upon the High Efficiency Trail Assessment Process (HETAP) as an input, and leveraging the Forest Service Trail Accessibility Guidelines (FSTAG) (U.S. Forest Service (2013), Guidebook for Accessible Nature Trails (National Confederation of Disabled People, 2019) and Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) Standards (U.S. Government Printing Office, 2015). A case study with primary data collected on a trail in the Lake Tahoe vicinity of Nevada, USA with a Wheeled Instrumentation Sensor Package (WISP) (Beneficial Designs Inc., Minden, Nevada, USA) is used to present the developed trail accessibility classification approach. The data set was collected applying the HETAP 3.0 (High Efficiency Trail Assessment Process) software and includes 1057 points along an approximately 6 km long trail including trail gradient and transverse slope, surface characterization, detailed descriptions of any mobility relevant features such as rocks and rock steps. The classification is performed classifying trail segments based on surface type, surface category, cross slope, grade, and a tread width as per their accessibility to wheelchair users according to the Forest Service Trail Accessibility Guidelines (FSTAG), resulting in a binary accessibility classification of a trail. Furthermore, a trail difficulty classification system is introduced and applied to the experimental data based on estimated energy consumption, length of the trail, cross slope, distribution of trail grade, and altitude, resulting in five classes as follows: easy, fair, moderate, severe, and extreme. The developed classification approach provides a panorama of actual trail accessibility and difficulty levels and provides an informative trail map for trail users, more particularly mobility impaired, which is crucial in terms of worthiness to travel to and attempt a given trail. The trail accessibility classification approach has implications for wheelchair users, while trail difficulty rating approach is applicable to all types of trail users thus bringing an innovative contribution to the theoretical trail management and development framework as well as numerous practical implications for trail designers, trail managers, and trail user associations. The proposed classification approach can serve as an aid to visualize trail management and planning and assist local authorities to improve trail designs and new project planning.
