# Trailhead

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> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Trailhead.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trailhead
> Source revision: 1316091700
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|Point at which a trail begins}}
{{one source|date=April 2020}}
[[File:Dike Trail no. 1389.JPG|thumb|Trailhead for Dike Trail no. 1389, in the [San Isabel National Forest](/source/San_Isabel_National_Forest), Colorado]]
thumb|upright|Trailhead sign
A '''trailhead''' is the point where a [trail](/source/trail) begins or is accessed,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trailhead |title=trailhead |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Merriam-Webster |access-date=2020-01-20 |quote=Definition of trailhead: the point at which a trail begins.}}</ref> where the trail is often intended for hiking, biking, horseback riding, or off-road vehicles. Modern trailheads often contain restrooms, maps, signposts, and distribution centers for informational brochures about the trail and its features and parking areas for vehicles and trailers. 

The [United States Access Board](/source/United_States_Access_Board) defines a trailhead "as an outdoor space that is designated by an entity responsible for administering or maintaining a trail to serve as an access point to the trail."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=May 2014|title=Outdoor Developed Areas: a summary of a summary of accessibility standards for Federal outdoor developed areas|url=https://www.access-board.gov/files/aba/guides/outdoor-guide.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=19 July 2021|website=[United States Access Board](/source/United_States_Access_Board)|page=29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813230610/https://www.access-board.gov/files/aba/guides/outdoor-guide.pdf|archive-date=Aug 13, 2021}}
</ref> The intersection of two trails is a '''trail junction''' and does not constitute a trailhead.<ref name=":0" />

[[Image:Trailhead.JPG|thumb|[Kiosk](/source/Kiosk) at a trailhead]]
Historically, the cities located at the terminus of major pathways for foot traffic, such as the [Natchez Trace](/source/Natchez_Trace) and the [Chisholm Trail](/source/Chisholm_Trail), were also known as trailheads.{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}}

For mountain climbing and hiking, the elevation of the trailhead above [sea level](/source/sea_level) is posted to give an idea of how high the mountain is above the [average terrain](/source/Height_above_average_terrain). A trailhead may also feature a [trail grade](/source/Trail_difficulty_rating_system), which determines the walking difficulty of the trail.

==See also==
*[Trail blazing](/source/Trail_blazing)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://comehike.com/outdoors/parks/trailhead.php Trailheads], a crowd-sourced database of trailheads in the United States

Category:Geography terminology
Category:Trails
Category:Trail markers

{{Topography-stub}}
{{trail-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Trailhead](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trailhead) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trailhead?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.