Working with the natural features of the public and private properties on which we build, we create flowing, functional, easy-to-maintain trails for long term use and enjoyment. From start to finish, Dirt Artisans takes care of your trail project. We pride ourselves on the quality of our work, on communicating well with all project stakeholders and on completing projects on time and within budget.

Planning & Design

A successful trail project starts with a great design and a solid project plan. We’ll work with you to implement the trail design you already have, or you can hire us to do the design for you.

In the design phase, we collaborate with project stakeholders to consider important social, economic and managerial aspects of your project. We work within parameters set by land managers and funding agencies to create trail and trail system designs that ultimately benefit the land manager and community at large while also delighting trail users. Factoring in short and long term considerations, we develop designs that fit your budget and schedule, breaking your project into pieces as needed to match the funding and timing of its phases.

We create the experience of sinuosity on our trails. Our designs feature intelligent trail layouts to protect sensitive vegetation, factor in the lay of the land, showcase natural features and consider the types of trail users and their skill levels. We can also take care of maps and signage to keep users from getting lost.

Construction

We hand build and machine build trails in combination to best meet the needs of each project. Throughout the build phase of our projects, we work closely with our clients, whether we are constructing narrow, winding singletrack; smooth, flowy natural surface trails; or gravel paths ranging from two to 12 feet wide.

We’ve invested in state-of-the-art specialized equipment needed to build your trails expertly and efficiently, and we have the necessary equipment to transport our trail building equipment to and from your project site anywhere in the continental U.S. Among our equipment are a Sutter 480 Trail Dozer, three excavators, a skid steer, two trucks and two trailers. We also have a Helac, which reduces the amount of hand finishing work needed to keep project costs down.

Our highly skilled staff have decades of experience not only in trail building but also in master carpentry and masonry, so we can construct special trail features like bridges, puncheons, kiosks, pavilions, rock armoring, rock pitching, dry-laid rock walls and fencing.

Maintenance

We make your existing trails great and then keep them that way. We specialize in re-routing unsustainable trails to reduce erosion, to minimize long term trail maintenance needs and to maximize trail user enjoyment.

Through drain enhancements and corridor clearing, we keep your trails dry and open for more days of every year. We’re also available to repair or replace worn out trail features like bridges, signage and kiosks.

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