Trail Blazes and Markers

Trails just don't spontaneously appear. They are planned, built and blazed so people can travel safely from trailhead to summit and beyond. The National Trails System Act, passed on October 2, 1968, established four trail categories: national scenic, national historic, national recreational, and connecting trails. Under the act, either national trails agencies or private trail stewards are required to keep trails clearly marked

The purpose of a trail marker (or blaze) is to help hikers follow a given path. It is used to indicate things such as the beginning and end of a trail, a change of direction or an intersection. Although the distance that separates two blazes on a trail is highly variable, you should be able to always have some form of trail marker in sight or within a short distance along the trail.

Blazes are found on prominent trees that are easy to spot on the trail. They are usually placed just above eye level - or slightly higher in areas that receive snow. Paint is most commonly used to mark a hiking trail. Painted markers are roughly two inches wide and six inches tall. In the United States and Canada, the standard marking system uses rectangles in these different configurations to guide hikers.

In North America, trail blaze colors have no purpose other than to represent an individual trail. In other words, trails are typically marked in a single color from beginning to end. The Appalachian Trail, for example, uses white, while the Pinhoti uses yellow.  Blaze colors come in particularly handy when different trails intersect or when dealing with side trails. Because each trail is marked in a different color, it is easy to know which markers to follow and which to ignore to stay on track.

Temporary trail markers can be made with sticks and stones, marking a trail for someone following you or to mark a trail to allow you to easily find your way back to the trailhead or base camp.