We have a trail that crosses a U.S. Highway, which is something allowed only grudgingly by the feds. Just before it gets to the highway the trail makes a right-angle turn and parallels the highway for a couple hundred yards to a crossing point, then comes back on the other side of the highway. The reason for the jog is to get to a level crossing point and avoid a steep grade going up to the highway on both sides. Naturally, a few outlaws take a shortcut up the steep grade, across the highway, and down the other side. Ruts and erosion are the result. Our ATV club was warned that the feds would close the trail at that point if people didn't stay on the trail. The highway people are concerned that erosion caused by ATV's could eventually undermine the roadbed and increase maintenance costs.

A crew of ATV club members just spent a day installing fences to keep people on the trail. If that doesn't work, the feds could block the heart of our trail system. The riders who had been taking the shortcut probably wouldn't even realize they caused it.

 

As they say it only takes one to kill it for everyone!

 

Yep, we had 2 of our connecting trails closed by a landowner and by the town. People weren't behaving. The result is a long 10 mile out of the way trail to get to our main trails instead of a 3 mile trail.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: Deeplaker60

We have a trail that crosses a U.S. Highway, which is something allowed only grudgingly by the feds. Just before it gets to the highway the trail makes a right-angle turn and parallels the highway for a couple hundred yards to a crossing point, then comes back on the other side of the highway. The reason for the jog is to get to a level crossing point and avoid a steep grade going up to the highway on both sides. Naturally, a few outlaws take a shortcut up the steep grade, across the highway, and down the other side. Ruts and erosion are the result. Our ATV club was warned that the feds would close the trail at that point if people didn't stay on the trail. The highway people are concerned that erosion caused by ATV's could eventually undermine the roadbed and increase maintenance costs.

A crew of ATV club members just spent a day installing fences to keep people on the trail. If that doesn't work, the feds could block the heart of our trail system. The riders who had been taking the shortcut probably wouldn't even realize they caused it.</end quote></div>







Something like this will require some sort of way to discourage people from going thru the ditch. There are many ways to do this from implacing fence posts, fences, boulders, etc. I have even see some places that have used boards / logs imbedded with nails - but that is not the route I would choose to use.

 

The fence we built consists of treated 4x4 posts with 2x6 rails. Hopefully, that will work, but I like your idea of a line of bolders. There's no shortage of big rocks around here, and I think the end loader on our big Kubota would handle them. But that would be a lot of work. It would be better if people just stayed on the well-marked trail, and most do.

Ironically, we had a situation a few years ago on another part of the trail that was just the opposite--most people rode off the trail and only a few stayed on it. A low spot on the trail had turned into a mudhole several hundred feet long. People who tried to go through it usually got stuck, but a few made it and attained bragging rights. Most people made trails through the woods to get around it. Of course, the county forestry department didn't like that. The solution to that problem was a state grant that paid for gravel and a culvert.