Trail Condition and Administrative Oversight: Insights from a Paired Trail Analysis in Michigan

Trail Condition and Administrative Oversight

Authors

  • Dan McCole Michigan State University
  • Elizabeth E. Perry Michigan State University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18666/JPRA-2025-13147

Keywords:

Recreation Ecology, Trail Management, Administrative History, Land Management, Backcountry

Abstract

This study examines how trail siting, environmental susceptibility, and institutional support shape ecological conditions along backcountry trails. We assess two segments of the 22-mile Manistee River Loop in Michigan: the Manistee River Trail (MRT), closely following the river, and a parallel segment of the North Country Trail (NCT) routed farther upslope and supported by a National Scenic Trail partnership. Field assessments show higher use levels and substantially greater degradation on the MRT (e.g., erosion, campsite proliferation, informal trail formation) corresponding with higher use and closer proximity to steep riparian slopes. An administrative history documents more consistent funding, volunteer engagement, and nonprofit support for the NCT. Together, the results illustrate how an attractive, river-adjacent alignment can concentrate visitors and amplify biophysical impacts, and how administrative capacity can moderate these effects. We conclude with management recommendations emphasizing optimal trail location review, proactive maintenance, and strategic engagement of volunteer and nonprofit partners. 

Downloads

Published

2025-12-30

Issue

Vol. 44 No. 1 (2026): Special Issue: Research Notes from the 2025 National Environment and Recreation Research Symposium

Section

Special Issue: NERR 2025

License

Sagamore Publishing LLC (hereinafter the “Copyright Owner”)

Journal Publishing Copyright Agreement for Authors

PLEASE REVIEW OUR POLICIES AND THE PUBLISHING AGREEMENT, AND INDICATE YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE TERMS BY CHECKING THE ‘AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS COPYRIGHT NOTICE’ CHECKBOX BELOW.

I understand that by submitting an article to Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, I am granting the copyright to the article submitted for consideration for publication in Journal of Park and Recreation Administration to the Copyright Owner. If after consideration of the Editor of the Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, the article is not accepted for publication, all copyright covered under this agreement will be automatically returned to the Author(s).

THE PUBLISHING AGREEMENT

Assignment of Copyright

I hereby assign to the Copyright Owner the copyright in the manuscript I am submitting in this online procedure and any tables, illustrations or other material submitted for publication as part of the manuscript in all forms and media (whether now known or later developed), throughout the world, in all languages, for the full term of copyright, effective when the article is accepted for publication.

Reversion of Rights

Articles may sometimes be accepted for publication but later be rejected in the publication process, even in some cases after public posting in “Articles in Press” form, in which case all rights will revert to the Author.

Retention of Rights for Scholarly Purposes

I understand that I retain or am hereby granted the Retained Rights. The Retained Rights include the right to use the Preprint, Accepted Manuscript, and the Published Journal Article for Personal Use and Internal Institutional Use.

All journal material is under a 12 month embargo. Authors who would like to have their articles available as open access should contact gbates@sagamorepub.com for further information.

In the case of the Accepted Manuscript and the Published Journal Article, the Retained Rights exclude Commercial Use, other than use by the author in a subsequent compilation of the author’s works or to extend the Article to book length form or re-use by the author of portions or excerpts in other works.

Published Journal Article: the author may share a link to the formal publication through the relevant DOI.

Author Representations

  • The Article I have submitted to the journal for review is original, has been written by the stated author(s) and has not been published elsewhere.
  • The Article was not submitted for review to another journal while under review by this journal and will not be submitted to any other journal.
  • The Article contains no libelous or other unlawful statements and does not contain any materials that violate any personal or proprietary rights of any other person or entity.
  • I have obtained written permission from copyright owners for any excerpts from copyrighted works that are included and have credited the sources in the Article.
  • If the Article was prepared jointly with other authors, I have informed the co-author(s) of the terms of this Journal Publishing Agreement and that I am signing on their behalf as their agent, and I am authorized to do so.