Find YOUR path
ASCENT
Accessibility Scales for Characterizing Easier Natural Trails
ASCENT allows people with disabilities to choose the best path or trail tailored to their individual abilities and goals
Overview of our ratings of natural trails from Very Easy to Very Hard. Read more.
Trail Effort helps you find natural trails that match your current fitness levels. Read more.
The rationale for ASCENT helps to understand the approach we used and the benefits this offers. Read more.
The ASCENT survey is being tested in phases that apply ratings to increasingly challenging paths and natural trails. Coming soon!
Trail Stress helps you find natural trails that offer just the level of challenge given your specific disabilities. Read more.
ASCENT's overall Trail Ratings draw directly from the individual features and critical thresholds related to the Federal Accessibility Standards for Universal Access (UA) Trails. Read more about the rationale here.
Features include Grades (Cross and Running), Tread Surface, Obstacles, and Tread Width.
Each individual feature is rated as
A If it meets the UA standard
B If it falls just short of the UA standard
C If it clearly falls short of the UA standards
D If it significantly exceeds the UA standard
The Critical Thresholds for each of these ratings for different features are described in detail in Trail Effort and Trail Stress.
ASCENT also takes into account the
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Extent to which a standard is exceeded, captured by adding a plus (+)or minus (-) to B, C, D, & E ratings
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A + is added when a standard is exceeded for less than 10', perhaps just creating added stress
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A - is added when a standard is exceeded more than 10', perhaps creating a barrier
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Added stress when a section of natural trail exceeds standards with respect to multiple features.
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Fact that overall difficulty may increase over the course of a trail as other features are encountered, helping walkers decide whether to continue.
The western section of Cheslen's Purple Loop is a wide, flat, mowed trail.
A Very Easy Natural Trail
Meets all UA standards (e.g., with an A rating) except for Tread Surface, rated as generally firm or an B rating) - in other words, these have no sections including
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Running grades or slopes of 10-12.5% longer than 10'
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Cross grades greater than 5%
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Obstacles across the width of the path more than 2" high
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A Width of 3-5', with 5' wide passing spaces at least every 1000'
A Very Easy to Easy Natural Trail
Includes sections less than 10' long falling just short of UA Standards (e.g., an B+ rating) for no more than one of the following features in addition to Tread Surface - i.e.,
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Cross grades of 5-10%
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Obstacles across the width of the path 2-3" high
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A Width of at least 3' but without passing spaces
The section of the PennDel Trail in White Clay Creek Preserve leaving from Lot #1 requires passing over a bridge less than 32" wide
The Kestrel's Perch Trail in Stateline Woods Preserve includes a section more than 60' long with Running Grades exceeding 10% and a longer section with Cross Grades of 5-10%
An Easy Natural Trail
Includes sections that barely exceed the UA standards:
(a) one longer section (i.e., more than 10') with Obstacles, Cross-Grades, Running Grades, or Width meriting a B- rating) OR
(b) one shorter section with two features barely exceeding UA Standards (e.g., meriting a B+ rating)
An Easy to Hard Natural Trail
Includes at least on section less than 10' long that clearly exceeds (e.g., a C rating) UA Standards for no more than one of the following features
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Tread surface that is soft
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Cross grades of 10-15%
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Obstacles across the width of the path up to 6" high
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A Width of 18" to 3'
The Prickly Pear Trail Perch Trail in the Delaware Seashore State Park includes short sandy sections where Margot's stroller wheel sinks up to 2".
Many popular natural trails that are maintained by many feet, like these in Harmony Hill Nature Area, are only 18" to 3' wide.
A Hard Natural Trail
Includes sections that clearly exceed the UA standards:
(a) one longer section (i.e., more than 10') with Obstacles, Cross-Grades, Running Grades, or Width meriting a C- rating) OR
(b) one shorter section with two features clearly exceeding UA Standards (e.g., meriting a C+ rating)
A Hard to Very Hard Natural Trail
Includes at least one short section that significantly exceeds (e.g., a D rating) UA Standards for no more than one of the following features - i.e.,
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Tread surface that is very soft
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Cross grades more than 15%
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Obstacles across the width of the path more than 6" high
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A Width of less than 18"
Even a short stream crossing can make the easiest trail very hard because of deep mud and/or the stream itself that makes the streambed hard to see
Long sections with large rocks spanning the width of the Beaver Valley Trail at the Marshall Bridge Preserve make this trail Very Hard for people with mobility challenges.
A Very Hard Natural Trail
Includes sections that significantly exceed the UA standards:
(a) one longer section (i.e., more than 10') with Obstacles, Cross-Grades, Running Grades, or Width meriting a D- rating) OR
(b) one shorter section with two features significantly exceeding UA Standards (e.g., meriting a D+ rating)
Read more about the rationale behind ASCENT, about the key features of - and thresholds for - Trail Effort and Trail Stress.