Social & Networking
How to design a trail submission guide
A trail-sharing community lives or dies on the quality of what people submit. This guide covers the decisions that make a route entry useful, with one worked example from a local loop.
01
Decide the minimum a route must include
Start by listing the fields every submission needs: name, start point, distance, elevation change, surface, difficulty and best season. Keep the required list short so contributors finish it, then offer optional fields for parking, water, dogs and accessibility. Worked example: a contributor submits a four-mile lake loop, listing a gravel lot start, gentle climbs, a muddy stretch in spring and no water on route. That alone lets a stranger judge fit. Anything beyond it, such as photos or a favorite viewpoint, becomes a bonus rather than a barrier.
02
Set rules for describing what people actually saw
Ask contributors to write from their own recent experience and to state the date they walked the route. Conditions change, so a date helps readers weigh older entries. Provide short prompts instead of a blank box: where does the trail get confusing, what surprised you, what would you bring next time. In the lake loop example, the contributor notes a missing sign at the second junction and mentions a visit date in April. Those details are more valuable than praise, because they help the next person avoid a wrong turn.
03
Build review and update steps into the guide
Plan what happens after someone submits. A light review can check for complete fields, a clear start location and respectful tone, and it should note any safety concerns such as unmarked crossings or private land. Then let other users add updates, like a closed bridge or a new reroute, beneath the original entry. For the lake loop, a later hiker could report that the muddy section now has boardwalk. Showing both the original text and the dated update keeps the entry honest and encourages people to return and improve it.