Things You'll Need:
- Signage
- Brochures
- Guides
- Maps
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Step 1
Choose a specific pathway to make an interpretive trail. You can pick a trail that already contains signage that is outdated or in need of repair, or simply start from scratch to create a trail on your own.
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Step 2
Find the owner of the property where the interpretive hiking trail is located, especially if it is owned by state or local governments. You must secure the permission of the landowner before you make an interpretive hiking trail. If the land is owned by local or state governments, you may obtain materials for signage and literature for free.
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Step 3
Decide whether you want to use signage or literature to express your interpretive hiking trail. Signage along the trail may be both costly and unsightly, and it may annoy environmentally sensitive hikers. Placing a single box of literature or brochures at the trailhead may be less intrusive, although you may still need to install small markers to correspond to certain points along the trail.
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Step 4
Research the history and geography of the land surrounding your interpretive hiking trail, along with details about the local flora and fauna. Before you make the literature or signage for your interpretive hiking trail, take a walk and record anything of interest, such as a distant rock formation or a rare and interesting wildflower. These details, along with an accurate map of the trail, will form the body of your interpretation.
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Step 5
Create all of your signage, print all of your literature and make your interpretive hiking trail a reality. The inclusion of historical photographs may be appreciated, especially by older hikers who remember what the land looked like when they were children. You may also want to place a suggestion box near the trailhead for comments, criticisms and observations from other hikers.
