Wikipedia:WikiProject Hiking Trails

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WP:TRAILS

This Wikiproject's goal is to establish a standard infobox and create/edit articles on hiking trails and trail systems throughout the world. Eventually, this project will help inform others on hiking trails worldwide and the work done to maintain them.


Contents

[edit] Title

WikiProject Hiking Trails

[edit] Scope

This WikiProject aims primarily to provide a common layout for articles on a specific named trail such as the (e.g. Appalachian Trail), not for articles just related to trail hiking (e.g. hiking).

[edit] Parentage

The parent of this WikiProject is the WikiProject Geography.

[edit] Descendant Wikiprojects

No descendant WikiProjects have been defined.

[edit] Similar Wikiprojects

WikiProject Mountains

[edit] Participants

New users are always welcome!

[edit] Structure

A template will provide a common set of features on a trail organized into a consistent format. The template will include an infobox, that contains the following attributes:

  • Name of the trail
  • Length - In miles and kilometers
  • Elevation - Change in elevation along the entire trail
  • Highest Point - Highest point of the entire trail (if available)
  • Lowest Point - Lowest point of the entire trail (if available)
  • Starting/Ending Points - Where the trail begins and ends
  • Difficulty - Difficulty of hiking the entire trail
  • Season - The seasons the trail should be hiked
  • Use - What the trail may be used for (e.g. hiking, biking, horseback riding) Note: The trail must be used for hiking, at least. Backcountry roads are not to be included here
  • Sights - Significant points of interest along the trail
  • Hazards - Major hazards along the trail (e.g. Poison Ivy, Wildlife)

The body of the article should try to provide the following information:

  • History of the trail
  • Geology and biology - Major mountain ranges, flora and fauna

After creating or editing an article, add it to the relevant section on List of long-distance footpaths. If there is an article containing a list of hiking trails for a particular area where the trail runs, add the new entry to that list.

[edit] Categorization

If an article is added or edited to the project, please also add it to the relevant categories: (e.g. Category:Hiking trails, Category:Hiking trails in North America, Trails in Ithaca, New York).

If five articles on hiking trails in a particular country, continent, or specific area are available, please create a category to link them together (e.g. Category:Trails in France)

The current categorization framework is as follows:

[edit] General Strategy and Discussion forums

[edit] Templates

Appalachian Trail

Map of Appalachian Trail
Length 2174 mi; 3500 km
Trailheads Springer Mountain, Georgia
Mount Katahdin, Maine
Use Hiking
Elevation Change 90 mi[1]
Highest Point Clingmans Dome
Lowest Point Hudson River
Trail Difficulty Moderate to Strenuous
Season Spring to Fall
Sights Appalachian Mountains
Hazards Severe Weather
Poison Ivy

The {{Trails}} Template is the primary template to be used on the article page for the respective trail. The example on the right shows a good example of how a trail template is properly used. The template has recently been updated to remove the unknown values for any feature left blank and to condense the infobox for trails with little information about them.

The minimum information required to use a template are:

  • Name of the trail
  • Length of the trail (preferably in miles and kilometers)
  • Trailheads (Where trail begins and ends)
  • Use (always at least Hiking)

Additional information that may go the Trails Template include:

  • Photo of some area of the trail (preferably with a minimum width of 300px)
  • The elevation change (the sum of the altitude climbed or descended through the trail)
  • The highest point in the trail
  • The lowest point in the trail
  • The difficulty of the trail for a typical healthy person (use best judgement)
  • The season(s) that the trail may be hiked, or is easily accessible
  • Significant sights along the way
  • Major hazards that a hiker needs to watch out for
{{Trails
 |Name=
 |Photo=
 |Caption=
 |Length=
 |Start/End Points=
 |Use=Hiking
 |ElevChange=
 |HighPoint=
 |LowPoint=
 |Difficulty=
 |Season=
 |Sights=
 |Hazards=
}}

[edit] Hiking Project Template

The {{HikingProject}} Template is used on the Talk Pages of hiking trails.

[edit] User Page Template

The {{User Wikiproject Hiking Trails}} Template is used on a member's user page.

Wikiproject:WikiProject_Hiking_Trails This user is a member of WikiProject Hiking Trails.


[edit] National Trail System Template

The {{National Trail System}} Template is an experimental template to be placed on trail pages at the bottom directing the user to various articles relevant to the U.S. Trail System and how it works.

U.S. National Trails System
National Scenic Trails:

Appalachian Trail | Pacific Crest Trail | Continental Divide Trail | North Country Trail | Ice Age Trail | Florida Trail | Potomac Heritage Trail | Natchez Trace Trail

National Historic Trails:

Oregon Trail | Mormon Trail | Lewis and Clark Trail | Iditarod Trail | Overmountain Victory Trail | Nez Perce Trail | Santa Fe Trail | Trail of Tears | Juan Bautista de Anza Trail | California Trail | Pony Express Trail | Selma to Montgomery Trail | El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro Trail | Ala Kahakai Trail | Old Spanish Trail | El Camino Real de los Tejas Trail

National Recreation Trails:

National Recreation Trails Database | United States Forest Service | United States Park Service | Bureau of Land Management | Department of Agriculture


[edit] Thing To-Do

In the immeditate future:

  • Create a Hiking Template to be placed in the Talk Pages of specific trails
  • Add Trail Template to at least one other hiking trail
  • Create a Template InfoBox to be placed at the bottom of pages that link to major hiking trail information and major trails

More to come...

[edit] Contributions

WikiProject Hiking Trails has worked on:

[edit] Pictures

Pictures of trails across areas (e.g. Image:Map of Appalachian Trail.png and photos of trails are always welcome.)