Modifying Recreational Trail Design Guidelines to Incorporate GIS: Saskatchewan's Buffalo Pound Provincial Park Case Study

This research explored how best to incorporate Geographic Information Systems (GIS) into the existing trail industry standard design guidelines. A literature review was used to establish the trail industry standard design guidelines, and then a case study was conducted to determine how best to incorporate GIS. A set of modified guidelines were generated and then reviewed by key informants to create a final set of guidelines. Results indicate that GIS should be used throughout the trail design process but holds particular importance for the Site Inventory Mapping phase where GIS can be used to create slope maps, three-dimensional models, and help mitigate environmental impacts. Conclusions show that GIS has a significant role in trail design and can improve the efficiency of creating maps, collecting data, and accessing data.