Trail Craft Community, Culture & the Art of Building Trails

A vibrant history of craft, culture, and the beauty of the great outdoors

• Celebrates the craft and culture of building trails and the larger trail community
• Features sidebars on history, terminology, design, and profiles of people from the trail community
• Full-color photographs and hand-drawn black-and-white sketches throughout

Human-powered recreation almost always begins on a trail, yet we rarely stop to ask: where did this path come from? This captivating book explores the arcane, living art form of trailbuilding--an outdoor engineering feat that balances modern methods with centuries-old techniques to forge a way through the tangle of nature. Rooted in storytelling and drawing on more than one hundred interviews with trail crew members across the US, author Joe Gibson shines a spotlight on the seldom-seen community of dedicated artisans who pour endless hours as well as their strength and intuition into shaping paths in our public lands. The ultimate read for anyone who spends time in wilderness or on trails, Trail Craft is richly illustrated throughout with Gibson's art and photographs, along with historical photographs of trail crews and their handiwork. Rounding out the book are a directory of select trail organizations, a bibliography, and an illustrated glossary.

With its universal themes of perseverance and adventure, Trail Craft will deeply resonate with hikers, history buffs, and anyone with an appreciation for the outdoors.