Editing Trail (section)

=== Shared-use ===
{{See also|Shared use path|Trail riding}}
[[Image:Taiwan 2009 JinGuaShi Historic Gold Mine Trail Leading to Mining Sites FRD 8756.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Photograph of an abandoned mining trail in Taiwan lined with shrubs and trees |An abandoned mining trail in the [[Jinguashi]] mining area in Taiwan]]Shared use may be achieved by sharing a trail easement, but maintaining segregated and sometimes also separated trail treads within it.  This is common with [[rail trails]]. Shared use may also refer to alternate day arrangements, whereby two uses are segregated by being permitted every other day. This is increasingly common on [[long-distance trails]] shared by equestrians and mountain bike users; these two user communities have similar trail requirements but may experience difficult encounters with each other on the trail.

The [[Trans Canada Trail]] can be used by cyclists, hikers, horseback riders, and walkers, as well as [[cross country skiers|cross-country skiers]], [[snowmobile]]rs and [[snowshoe]]rs in winter.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://tctrail.ca |title=Explore and learn more about the Trans Canada Trail, one of Canada's truly great endeavours |website=tctrail.ca |access-date=13 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623190419/http://tctrail.ca/ |archive-date=23 June 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In the United States, the [[East Coast Greenway]]{{emdash}}{{convert|3000|mi|km|0|abbr=on}} from Key West to the Canadian border<ref>{{Cite web |title=About the East Coast Greenway |url=https://www.greenway.org/about/the-east-coast-greenway |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=[[East Coast Greenway]] |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126161056/https://www.greenway.org/about/the-east-coast-greenway }}</ref>{{emdash}} and the 11 September National Memorial Trail, a {{convert|1300|mi|km|0|abbr=on}} triangular loop connecting the three 9/11 memorial sites, are two long-distance multi-use paths for cyclists, runners, walkers, even equestrians.<ref>{{Cite web |title=9/11 Trail |url=https://www.911trail.org/ |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=9/11 Trail |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126140935/https://www.911trail.org/ }}</ref>

In Belgium [[RAVeL network|RAVeL]], French for ''réseau autonome de voies lentes''<ref>{{Cite web |title=The RAVeL |url=https://ravel.wallonie.be/en/home.html |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=ravel.wallonie.be |archive-date=31 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031180842/https://ravel.wallonie.be/en/home.html }}</ref> (''autonomous network of slow ways''), is a [[Wallonia|Walloon]] initiative aimed at creating a network of route itineraries reserved for pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders and people with reduced mobility. The {{cvt|1,350|km}} network makes use of towpaths on river banks and disused railway or [[vicinal tramway]] lines ( narrow-gauge tramways).<ref>{{Cite web |title='RAVel' Network |url=https://walloniabelgiumtourism.co.uk/en-gb/3/i-love/cycling-holidays/ravel-network |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=Wallonia Belgium Tourism |archive-date=21 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021043139/https://walloniabelgiumtourism.co.uk/en-gb/3/i-love/cycling-holidays/ravel-network }}</ref> Old railway lines have been leased by the Walloon Government for 99 years using [[emphyteutic lease]] contracts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Le RAVel |url=http://www.sentiers.be/spip.php?article221 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331131143/http://www.sentiers.be/spip.php?article221 |archive-date=31 March 2012 |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=sentiers.be}}</ref> Where necessary, new paths are created to link parts of the network.

In [[England and Wales]] a bridleway is a trail intended for use by equestrians,<ref>s 329, Highways Act 1980 and s 192, Road Traffic Act 1988.</ref><ref>''A Dictionary of Law Enforcement''. Oxford University Press, 2007.</ref> but walkers also have a [[Right of way (transit)|right of way]], and Section 30 of the [[Countryside Act 1968]], permits the riding of bicycles (but not motor-cycles) on public bridleways, though the act says it "shall not create any obligation to facilitate the use of the bridleway by cyclists". Thus the right to cycle exists even though it may be difficult to exercise on occasion, especially in winter. Cyclists using a bridleway must give way to other users on foot or horseback.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Where can I cycle off-road? |url=https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/cycling-guide/where-can-i-cycle-off-road |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=cyclinguk.org |archive-date=27 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027075258/https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/cycling-guide/where-can-i-cycle-off-road }}</ref>

The [[Seawall (Vancouver)|seawall]] in [[Stanley Park]], [[Vancouver, British Columbia]], Canada is popular for walking, running, cycling, and [[inline skating]]. There are two paths, one for skaters and cyclists and the other for pedestrians. The lane for cyclists and skaters goes one-way in a counterclockwise loop.<ref>Griffin, Kevin; Terri Clark (4 February 2005). "Grand Old Man of the Seawall". Vancouver Sun.</ref>

[[Foreshoreway]] (also [[oceanway]]) is a term used in [[Australian English|Australia]] for a type of [[Greenway (landscape)|greenway]] that provides a public [[Right of way (transit)|right-of-way]] along the edge of the sea open to both walkers and cyclists.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/thegoldcoast/foreshoreways-158.html |title="Coastal Pathways", City off the Gold Coast |access-date=7 February 2021 |archive-date=4 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204165925/https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/thegoldcoast/foreshoreways-158.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Forest road ====
[[File:Mudway at Kambalakonda Ecopark Visakhapatnam.JPG|thumb|alt=Photograph of a walkway through a forest |Trail in Kambalakonda Ecopark near [[Visakhapatnam]]]]
A [[forest road]] is a type of rudimentary access road, built mainly for the [[forest industry]]. In some cases they are used for [[backcountry]] recreation access.

There is open access to most [[Forestry Commission]] roads and land in Great Britain for walkers, cyclists and horse riders and, since the Countryside Bill of 1968, it has become the largest provider of outdoor recreation in Britain.<ref name="largestOutdoor">{{Cite web |url=http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-76ZL3L |title=The Forestry Commission |publisher=[[Forestry Commission]] |access-date=9 June 2012 |archive-date=30 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131030153556/http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-76zl3l |url-status=live }}</ref> The commission works with associations involved in [[Ramblers|rambling]], cycling, mountain biking and [[horse riding]] to promote the use of its land for recreation. The trails open to the public are not just forest roads. A notable example of the commission's promotion of outdoor activity is the [[7stanes]] project in Scotland, where seven purpose built areas of mountain bike trails have been laid, including facilities for disabled cyclists.<ref name="disabledBikers">{{Cite news |last=Michael Lloyd |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4280277.stm |title=Trails open up to disabled bikers |date=19 February 2005 |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=14 June 2012 |archive-date=8 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210208132549/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/4280277.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Holloway ====
A Holloway (also hollow way) is a [[Sunken lane|sunken path or lane]], i.e., a road or track that is significantly lower than the land on either side, not formed by the (recent) engineering of a road cutting but possibly of much greater age. Various mechanisms have been proposed for how holloways may have been formed, including erosion by water or traffic; the digging of embankments to assist with the herding of livestock; and the digging of double banks to mark the boundaries of estates. These mechanisms are all possible and could apply in different cases.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Macfarlane, Robert |title=Holloway |date=2013 |publisher=[[Faber and Faber]] |location=London}}</ref>

==== Rail ====
{{See|List of rail trails}}

[[File:Parkland Walk Islington.jpg|thumb|alt= A Photograph of the Parkland Walk rail trail in London |[[Parkland Walk]] rail trail, [[Islington]], London, England]] 
[[Rail trails]] or paths are shared-use paths that take advantage of abandoned railway corridors. They can be used for walking, cycling and horseback riding. They exist throughout the world. RailTrails Australia describes them as:<blockquote>Following the route of the railways, they cut through hills, under roads, over embankments and across gullies and creeks. Apart from being great places to walk, cycle or horse ride, rail trails are linear conservation corridors protecting native plants and animals. They often link remnant vegetation in farming areas and contain valuable flora and fauna habitat. Wineries and other attractions are near many trails as well as B&B's and other great places to stay.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What are rail trails? |url=http://www.railtrails.org.au/what-are-rail-trails/introduction |url-status=live |access-date=February 7, 2021 |website=railtrails.org |archive-date=November 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127023455/https://www.railtrails.org.au/what-are-rail-trails/introduction }}</ref></blockquote>
Most trails have a gravel or dirt surface suitable for walking, mountain bikes and horses. In the USA the {{cvt|42|mi}} [[Cheshire Rail Trail]], in [[New Hampshire]], can be used by hikers, horseback riders, snowmobilers, cross-country skiers, cyclists, and even [[dog sled|dogsledders]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cheshire Recreational Rail Trail |url=https://www.nhstateparks.org/visit/recreational-rail-trails/cheshire-recreational-rail-trail |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=nhstateparks.org |archive-date=1 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101011019/https://www.nhstateparks.org/visit/recreational-rail-trails/cheshire-recreational-rail-trail }}</ref>
In Canada, following the abandonment of the [[Prince Edward Island Railway]] in 1989, the government of [[Prince Edward Island]] purchased the right-of-way to the entire railway system. The [[Confederation Trail]] was developed as a tip-to-tip walking/cycling gravel rail trail which doubles as a monitored and groomed snowmobile trail during the winter months, operated by the PEI Snowmobile Association. A considerable part of the [[Trans Canada trail]] is repurposed defunct rail lines donated to provincial governments by the [[Canadian Pacific]] and [[Canadian National]] railways rebuilt as walking trails. Much of the Trans Canada Trail development emulated the successful [[Rails-to-Trails]] initiative in the United States. The Trail is multi-use and depending on the section may allow hikers, bicyclists, horseback riders, cross-country skiers and snowmobilers.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://thegreattrail.ca/ |title="The Great Trail" |access-date=8 February 2021 |archive-date=14 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181014003916/https://thegreattrail.ca/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Towpath ====
[[File:Canal swains lock 20040911 121236 2.jpg|left|thumb|alt= Photograph of a dirt towpath beside a canal with a lock with a house in the background |Swain's Lock on the C & O Canal in [[Maryland]], US]]
A [[towpath]] is a road or path on the bank of a river, canal, or other inland waterway. The original purpose of a towpath was to allow a horse, or a team of human pullers, to tow a boat, often a [[barge]]. They can be [[Road surface|paved]] or unpaved and are popular with cyclists and walkers; some are suitable for equestrians. Equestrians have legal access to all towpaths in Scotland, and there is a campaign for similar rights in England and Wales.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lobbying |url=https://www.bhs.org.uk/our-work/access/lobbying |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=[[British Horse Society]] |archive-date=20 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020022734/https://www.bhs.org.uk/our-work/access/lobbying }}</ref> In snowy winters in the USA they are popular with cross-country skiers and snowmobile users.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Snowmobiling in the Illinois & Michigan Canal |url=https://traveltips.usatoday.com/snowmobiling-illinois-michigan-canal-100389.html |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=[[USA Today]] |archive-date=23 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170823162214/http://traveltips.usatoday.com/snowmobiling-illinois-michigan-canal-100389.html }}</ref>

Most canals were owned by private companies in Britain, and the towpaths were deemed to be private, for the benefit of legitimate users of the canal. The nationalisation of the canal system in 1948 did not result in the towpaths becoming public rights of way, and subsequent legislation, such as the Transport Act of 1968, which defined the government's obligations to the maintenance of the inland waterways for which it was now responsible, did not include any commitment to maintain towpaths for use by anyone.<ref name="ReferenceA">Screen, Andy. "Leisure Facilities on the Towpath". Inland Waterways Association. Retrieved 3 February 2012.</ref> Ten years later [[British Waterways]] started to relax the rule that a permit was required to give access to a towpath, and began to encourage leisure usage by walkers, anglers and in some areas, cyclists.<ref>Cumberlidge, Jane (2009). ''Inland Waterways of Great Britain'' (8th ed.). Imray Laurie Norie and Wilson.[[David & Charles]] {{ISBN|978-1-84623-010-3}} p.37</ref> The [[British Waterways Act 1995]] still did not enshrine any right of public access, although it did encourage recreational access of all kinds to the network,<ref name="ReferenceA" /> although the steady development of the leisure use of the canals and the decline of commercial traffic had resulted in a general acceptance that towpaths are open to everyone, and not just boat users.<ref>Cumberlidge, Jane. p.37.</ref> The concept of free access to towpaths is enshrined in the legislation which transferred responsibility for the English and Welsh canals from British Waterways to the [[Canal & River Trust]] in 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2011/09/12/waterways-charity-2/ |title=Government confirms commitment to create new charity to protect Britain's waterways |publisher=DEFRA |access-date=3 February 2012 |archive-date=12 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312193952/http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2011/09/12/waterways-charity-2/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Not all towpaths are suitable for use by cyclists, but where they are, and the canal is owned by British Waterways, a permit is required. There is no charge for a permit, but it acts as an opportunity to inform cyclists about safe and unsafe areas to cycle. Some areas including London are exempt from this policy, but are covered instead by the London Towpath Code of Conduct and cyclists must have a bell, which they ring twice when approaching pedestrians. Parts of some towpaths have been incorporated into the National Cycle Network, and in most cases this has resulted in the surface being improved.<ref>Cumberlidge, p.11.</ref>

In France it is possible to cycle, [[rollerblade]], and hike along the banks of the [[Canal du Midi]]. A paved stretch of {{cvt|50|km}} from [[Toulouse]] to [[Avignonet-Lauragais]] and another {{cvt|12|km}} between [[Béziers]] and [[Portiragnes]] are particularly suited to cycling and rollerblading. It is possible to cycle or walk the entire [[Canal des Deux Mers]] from [[Sète]] to [[Bordeaux]].<ref>Jean-Yves Grégoire, On foot, on bicycle, the Canal du Midi and the lateral canal (in French). Rando-Éditions, {{ISBN|978-2-84182-314-7}}</ref> Other French canals provide walkers "with many excellent routes, as they are always accompanied by a towpath, which makes a pleasant off-road track, and have the added virtues of flatness, shade and an abundance of villages along the way", though walking a canal can be monotonous, so that "a long trip beside a canal is better done by bicycle".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://walkinginfrance.info/canals/ |title=Canals |last=Keith |website=walkinginfrance.info |access-date=13 June 2015 |archive-date=17 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617180643/http://walkinginfrance.info/canals |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Walnut Creek Urban Trail Austin Texas.jpg|thumb|alt=Photograph of a concrete urban trail running alongside a road|Part of the Northern Walnut Creek Trail, an urban trail in Austin, Texas, United States]]