WHY
are the trails dedicated to certain users?
CONFLICT

Other than environmental impact, the chief complaint among trail users is conflict with other users: disturbing one's enjoyment of naturalness and solitude.

"As a past Professor of Outdoor Recreation, I have never seen a SINGLE path MULTI-USER trail be successful at avoiding conflicts. While multiple paths in parallel work well when space is ample, single paths simply do not. Early on a decision was made to dedicate trail use to one group so as to reduce conflict."

Simon Priest, Ph.D. Chair, KPTC

ALTERNATIVES

For motorized vehicles and off-road (mountain) bicycles, Washington State DNR operates a fantastic network of many trails (4x4 or 2-track) in Tahuya State Forest near Belfair. Please educate motorized users to this fact.

Ultimately, some people will choose to ignore a trail designation and to take their horses on a foot trail, or to ride their bikes on a horse trail, or to walk down the middle of a bike path. Also a few will deliberately decide to seek conflict with all users by driving or motorcycling on several land trails.

Education and alternatives are the first methods for addressing conflicts. Once people know the trail has a dedicated use and that there is an alternative available for their own use, they are more likely to avoid creating a conflict.