One of the most important considerations with any trail is to determine the intended or primary use whether that’s mountain biking, hiking, adaptive, running, horseback, motorized, wintertime, or a combination of multiple users. For mountain biking in particular, it’s critical to think about the primary direction of travel and desired difficulty level. Some projects are predetermined from the start, while others have a more organic feel that relates to terrain, topography, geology, surrounding trails, start/end points, and intersections with other trails or roads. 

Many trails work perfectly well in either direction of travel, and can have optional features to increase the fun factor on the descent but still be climbed well. Skinny Traffic Trails has worked on many MTB trails optimized for climbing, descending, or bi-directional travel. We always have this conversation with our clients before beginning the design process, and strive to create the best possible trail experience for intended users.