Trail Facts for Kids

A trail is a path or road mainly used for walking. People also use trails for cycling, cross-country skiing, or other fun activities. Some trails are only for hikers. A few trails allow vehicles with motors.

What Are Trails Called?
Different Kinds of Trails
Related pages
Images for kids
See also

What Are Trails Called?

In the United States, a trail is sometimes called a footpath. But in places like Australia, New Zealand, India, and Ireland, a "footpath" means a "sidewalk" or "pavement" where people walk next to a road.

In Australia, people often use the word track instead of trail. A track can be anything from a dirt road to a path for walking. The word "trail" became more popular during World War II. Many soldiers from the United States were in Australia then. This likely made the word "trail" more common in Australian news. In New Zealand, "track" is used almost always, except for cross-country skiing, where "trail" is used.

Different Kinds of Trails

Trails are very popular for many different users.

Walking Trails

The Sendero de los quetzales in Panama.

Some trails are nature trails. People use these to learn about plants and animals. Many trails are day trails. This means people use them for a short hike, usually less than a day.

Other trails are backpacking trails or long-distance trails. These are used by both day hikers and backpackers. Some of these trails are over 1,500 kilometers (about 930 miles) long! Backpackers might hike them in parts. Very dedicated hikers can complete them in one long trip.

Some trails help outdoor fans reach special places. For example, they might lead to good climbing spots. Many runners also like running on trails. It gives a stronger workout than pavement. It also helps them become more agile. Plus, it's a nicer place to exercise. This is called trail running.

Stairway Trails

Stairs to the top of the Isle of Staffa, Scotland.

Stairways are another way to go up steep hills. Stairway trails are usually only for walking. The stairs are made from cuts in dirt, rocks, or concrete. Famous stairway trails include those in Bernal Heights in San Francisco. Many hill top Hindu temples, like in Tirumala, have stairs for pilgrimages. The ancient city of Machu Picchu also has many stairs.

Bicycle Trails

In recent years, cycling has become very popular. This includes both street cycling and off-road cycling. A common name for these paths is "bike trail."

Bike trails are built differently from walking trails. They need stronger, harder surfaces. They also have less steep slopes. Bike trails need longer views ahead and fewer sharp turns. However, a bike trail might be steeper from side to side. The path itself can also be narrower in some places.

Horse Trails

Horseback riding is still a popular activity on trails. Horse trails must also be built to different standards. It is important to have good sight distance on horse trails. There also needs to be enough space above and to the sides for riders and horses. The type of surface is very important for horses, unlike for hikers.

Cross-Country Skiing Trails

In cross-country skiing, a trail is also called a 'track' or 'piste'. This refers to the parallel grooves cut into the snow. There is one groove for each ski.

Motorized Trails

Some people enjoy using trails with motorized vehicles. Terms like ORV (Off-Road Vehicle), four-wheeling, and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) describe these activities.

Inca trail to Machu Picchu is a very old trail.

Images for kids

Trail in the Kruununpuisto Nature Park in Imatra, Finland.
Jungle trail inside KLIA Airport.
The Natchez Trace is a trail used by Native Americans in the United States for centuries. Later, early Europeans and Americans used it too.
Hikers and Mountainbikers on top of the Drachenfels (Dragons Rock) in the Palatinate Forest, Germany.
A combination horse and hiking trail in a suburb of New York City.
An urban footpath in Ipswich, Suffolk, United Kingdom, where cycling is not allowed.
An off-road trail leading into a forest.
Damage from vehicles leaving the marked trail at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
Trail in Kambalakonda Ecopark near Visakhapatnam.
Parkland Walk rail trail, Islington, London, England.
Swain's Lock on the C & O Canal in Maryland, US.
Part of the Northern Walnut Creek Trail, an urban trail in Austin, Texas, United States.
View into Fan Tan Alley, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
A walker preparing to leave the Refuge de Bel Lachat, Chamonix, in the French Alps, on the long distance path GR5.
Scotways sign for a Scottish public path.
A trail north of Cascade Pass, North Cascades National Park, Washington, United States.
Black Hill (Peak District), Cheshire, England, where a stone path was laid across boggy ground.
Swiss signs: hiking trails in yellow, mountain path in white-red-white, Alpine Route in white-blue-white.
Prepared ski trails for cross-country skiing.
A British Columbia Ministry of Forests forest service road in steep terrain at the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve near North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
A trail built under the waterfall Steinsdalsfossen, Norway.
Parts of many hiking trails at Mohonk Mountain House include stairway trails.
A waterbar in New York's Catskill Mountains. The trail forks right; the drainage ditch is to the left.