Trails in the Mountain Creek Watershed
Trail Optimization for Sustainability & Better Outdoor Recreation
Importance of Mountain Creek
The Mountain Creek trail system is a popular destination for all kinds of outdoor recreational activities in Michaux State Forest. Located near Pine Grove Furnace State Park, this area of Michaux State Forest is roughly bounded by Woodrow Road and Cold Spring Road on its west and east side, respectively, and by Ridge Road and Pine Grove Road/Route 233 on its north and south side. It contains a destination trail system that is highly valued for outdoor recreation.
Popularity of Outdoor Recreation & Impact of COVID-19
Currently, the Mountain Creek Project is seeking to improve both environmental and recreational conditions in the trail system. During the COVID-19 pandemic, outdoor recreation has seen a dramatic rise in popularity. The Pennsylvania Trail Network Plan 2020-2024 found an increase of 121% in mountain bike sales during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council's report “The COVID-19 Pandemic’s Impact on Pennsylvania’s Non-motorized Trails,” showed a 52% rise in March 2020’s trail counts when compared to counts from March 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent rise in popularity of outdoor recreation shows the importance of sustainable and high-quality recreation in the Mountain Creek Watershed.
The graph above displays the increase in trail use from March 2018-2020. From the PEC's report: "The COVID-19 Pandemic’s Impact on Pennsylvania’s Non-motorized Trails."
As the popularity of outdoor recreation across the commonwealth continues to grow, the Mountain Creek Trail System remains a popular destination among mountain bikers. This map shows the popularity of individual trails from mountain bikers' logs from Trailforks. On the map, red represents a trail of high popularity, while green displays a less used trail. Due to the popularity of Mountain Creek, optimization of the trail system is vital to protect the scenery that draws users to the area.
Trails & Water Quality
In the spring and summer of 2021, Dr. Christine Proctor from Harrisburg University led a study looking at the impact of stream crossings within the Mountain Creek trail system.
Within the study, four different scenarios were considered for their impact on stream health: authorized bridge crossings constructed by the DCNR, unauthorized bridge crossings, unauthorized direct crossings, and run-off from a wet or saturated trail.
The photos above display the different types of scenarios. From Left to Right: An Official DCNR Crossing, an Unauthorized Crossing, A Direct Stream Crossing, A Saturated Trail.
Within the Mountain Creek Watershed, Toms Run and Sage Run were identified as the two focal areas for sampling. In order to review the impact of the different scenarios, samples were taken both upstream and downstream of each site. At each site, data was collected on macroinvertebrates, water chemistry, flow, sediment depth, and habitat.
In sites at both Toms Run and Sage Run, a decrease in biotic integrity at run-off/drainage areas was found. In addition, sampling at the site of an unauthorized bridge crossing along Toms Run showed a decrease in biotic integrity. The results of this study show that unauthorized/user created bridges and saturated trails with runoff are having a negative impact on stream health and biotic integrity within the Mountain Creek Watershed.
Trail Grade
In addition to the issues faced from unauthorized stream crossings & saturated trails with runoff, concerns can be raised in the area of trail grade. Trail grade is the measurement of a trail’s slope in percentage. A trail grade of 0% would represent a flat trail, while a trail grade of 90% would represent a full upright trail. Trails with higher trail grades are at risk for increased rates of erosion, while also leading to a poor recreational experience.
In a study by Marion & Wimpy in 2017, designations for trail grade criteria were noted. Good conditions for trail grade are considered to be less than 2%, Neutral conditions are designated as less than 10%, Poor conditions are designated as between 10 and 20%, and Very Poor conditions are a trail grade of greater than 20%.
The map on the left displays the trail grade criteria for current trails in the Mountain Creek Trail System. Good Conditions (0-2%) are represented in dark green. Neutral conditions (2-10%) are displayed in light green. Poor conditions (10-20%) are shown in orange. Very Poor conditions (>20%) are pictured in red.
Within the Mountain Creek Watershed, 24.93% of trails are considered to be in good condition, 56.59% of trails are considered to be in neutral condition, 15.18% of trails are considered to be in poor condition, and 3.27% of trails are considered to be in very poor condition. Within the International Mountain Bicycling Association’s (IMBA) trail difficulty ratings, a trail grade of 10% is the maximum for the easiest level of “White Circle.” Under this consideration, 81.52% of trails currently in the Mountain Creek Watershed meet the IMBA’s guidelines for mountain biking trails.
Goals of the Project
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Building an Optimized Trail System
Using the goals outlined above, a model has been created in order to determine viable locations for optimization in the Mountain Creek Trail System.
For each goal, a buffer has been applied to that variable in order to ensure that any trails are within a safe distance of from the area of concern. The combination of all these different variables gives us suitable locations for the optimized trail system in the Mountain Creek Watershed.
As outlined in Goal #1, a main focus of the trail optimization in the Mountain Creek Watershed is to minimize trail segments that impact streams and other ecosystems and that are unsustainable to maintain.
The map on the right displays areas in red that are within 300ft of streams or water features in the Mountain Creek Area. For this project, areas in green align with the goals outlined above.
In order to increase accessibility and create easier maintenance, Goal #2 of the project is to create a resilient trail system that maximizes on existing transportation systems with locations that allow for sustainable recreational access and forest management.
The map on the right shows distance from roads in the Mountain Creek Area. Areas in green or light green are closer to roads, while areas in orange or red are further away. For optimization and in accordance with the goals of the project, areas in green are preferred.
Following in line with Goal #3 of the Mountain Creek Project, optimization of the current trail system will look to maximize distance between private inholdings, campsites, and trails.
On the right, two maps can be seen. Using the swipe feature, both the locations of campsites and private land holdings can be seen. Areas in red represent the campsites or land holdings and their immediate surroundings. These are areas trail optimization will seek to avoid. Areas in light green or dark green are preferred for trails.
In accordance with the goals and scope of the Mountain Creek Project, the map on the right displays the combination of all the different variables in optimizing the current trail system. Areas in green represent places where optimized trails will meet the goals of the project, while areas in red show an area to be avoided.
In using this model, the Mountain Creek Project will aim to improve both the user experience and sustainability of the trail system. The implementation of an optimized series of trails in the Mountain Creek Watershed will improve both function and purpose.
Public Engagement
In order to develop a better understanding of how Mountain Creek is currently used and to hear what the public would like to see in a new trail system, the CLUS launched a Social Pin Point page to take public comments on Mountain Creek. From August 24, 2022 to September 30, 2022 the Social Pin Point platform allowed for users to drop categorized pins and leave their comments or concerns about Mountain Creek. Following the comment period, these data will be used to inform the DCNR’s decision making process in the development of a new sustainable trail system in the Mountain Creek watershed.
On the left, a map displaying the public feedback can be seen. Each symbol represents a different type of comment. During the Public Engagement process, around 150 pins were dropped on the Social Pin Point map.
Conclusion
Michaux State Forest managers are optimizing the trail system in the Mountain Creek watershed to address the environmental, ecological and recreational issues outlined above, and to build resilience to climate and weather hazards. This trail system optimization aims to support high quality recreation opportunities and conservation in the watershed and the Michaux SF. The optimization seeks to enhance and stabilize the trail system to allow both volunteer and management resources to be invested as wisely as possible in the long-term sustainability of the trails, habitat, and user stewardship engagement in this area.
As the popularity of outdoor recreation continues to rise, creating a maintainable and sustainable trail system at Mountain Creek is more important than ever. The goals of the Mountain Creek Trail System optimization have been set to achieve a series of trials that ensure user satisfaction, while also protecting the environmentally crucial functions of the area. Creating a balance between outdoor recreation and sustainability is the key to ensuring that future generations of Pennsylvanians will continue to have the opportunity to learn and find enjoyment in the commonwealth's state forests.
References
Marion, J. L., & Wimpey, J. (2017). Assessing the influence of sustainable trail design and maintenance on soil loss. Journal of Environmental Management, 189, 46–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.11.074
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. (2020). Pennsylvania Land and Water Trail Network Strategic Plan 2020-2024. https://weconservepa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/2020-DCNR-Trail-Plan-V11-Press.pdf
Pennsylvania Environmental Council. (2020). The COVID-19 Pandemic’s Impact on Pennsylvania’s Non-motorized Trails: Increased Use, Added Strain, and a Newfound Appreciation. https://pecpa.org/resource_post_type/measuring-covid-19s-impact-on-trail-use-2/
