Design Spotlight: Forest Trail & Mt. Top Trail

f ores T T rail

Connecting from the wetland trails, the Forest Trail ascends underneath a luscious deciduous forest canopy. This trail largely avoids going along the farms fields with the exception of a small segment on the western edge of the brush-hogged field.

Rest Spot Overlook

A overlook picnic area provides a scenic view of the meadow field, the Keep Homestead Museum and the mountain landscape in the distance.

Christmas Fern and the Hay Field Edge Trails Connectivity

Visitors have the option of connecting to the Christmas Fern Trail or to continue onto the Hay Field Edge Trail to loop back around to the Keep Homestead Museum parking lot.

M T . T o P T rail

Continuing from the Christmas Fern Trail, visitors can experience the top of Mount Ella, an early succession forest, and two gathering places.

Picnic Overlook

Picnic Overlook is the final destination for visitors on the all persons trail. Serving as a resting and gathering area, visitors can take in the view or sit and linger on the picnic tables.

Boardwalk Overlook

A boardwalk with an overlook carries visitors across a wet area. Views feature the mountain landscape in the distance, and exposed bedrock.

An Early Successional Forest Experience

Informational signs highlight the history of the landscape across this area including the 2011 tornado, and the connection to the current early successional forest.

All-Persons Trail Guidelines

The USDA Forest Service guidelines on all-persons trails can serve as a resource designing an all-persons trails at Flynt Park and the Keep Homestead Museum.

Surface

The surfaces of the trail tread, resting intervals and passing spaces shall be both firm and stable. Firmness means that the surface is not malleable to depressions, and stability refers to maintaining a steadiness throughout the ebbs and flows of the seasons. (USDA Forest Service)

Clear Tread Width

At a minimum, the clear tread width must be at least 36 inches. (USDA Forest Service)

Resting Interval

A resting interval shall be less than a 5 percent slope. Resting intervals can either be placed on the trail or adjacent to the trail tread. The minimum length shall be 60 inches long. If placed adjacent to a trail, the minimum width shall be 36 inches wide, but if on the trail, the resting interval shall be as wide as the widest trail segment leading up to the rest stop. (USDA Forest Service)

Passing Spaces

The minimum dimensions of a passing space shall be 60 inches by 60 inches, and the slope of a passing space cannot be over 5 percent. (USDA Forest Service)

Cross Slope

The cross slope on an all-persons trail must be less than five percent, and on paved or elevated areas, the slope must be less than two percent. (USDA Forest Service)

Running Slope

An all-persons trail shall have slopes less than 12 percent. Trail segments with less than a 5 percent slope are permitted for any distances. For trails that are steeper than 5 percent but less than 8.33 percent, a resting interval shall be included every 200 feet. Trails that are between 8.33 and 10 percent slope, resting intervals shall be provided every 30 feet, and for trails between a 10 and 12 percent slope, resting intervals shall be available every 10 feet. However, no more than 30 percent of the whole trail shall be at over a 8.33 percent slope. (USDA Forest Service)