adopt-a-trail

SVAT Adopt-A-Trail                                                                                                                                                                          2026-03-03

The Sussex Valley All-Terrain Club has embarked on an initiative which we believe will not only help out our club but also help instill a sense of pride and ownership in our trail system. The SVAT Adopt-A-Trail is designed to allow members to become actively involved with the club and contribute to improving the quality and safety of the trails we all enjoy. Members involved with the program will monitor and report on trail conditions, allowing the club to act on issues reported as needed. This program is open to SVAT members only.

How it Works

Individuals can volunteer to adopt a trail and take care of it as if it were their own. Much like the Adopt-a-Highway program the province of New Brunswick used to have, adoptees will ride the trail a minimum of two times a year – at the beginning of the season and near the middle. Participants will collect and submit necessary information, reporting anomalous trail conditions and problem areas with regard to safety issues or the environment.

Information can be submitted to your executive who will take the necessary steps to rectify the problem. We need pictures of the trouble area along with a precise location such as lat/long coordinates or a google pin to determine exactly where the problem is located. If the issue is something that you can easily repair (such as a fallen tree on the trail) and are willing to take that on, please be sure to document this work with pictures. Some of these pictures may be posted on our Facebook page congratulating you for a job well done. They are also necessary to prove the club is practicing due diligence regarding trail hazards.

There is a dedicated Adopt-a-trail group chat on facebook messenger. Members will be added to it as they sign up. Documentation (photos) can be submitted via the chat, and that way all volunteers and executives know what is going on with regards to the trail network. 

Things to look for and report on:

• Signage: Damaged, missing, faded, or incorrect. Suggestions for more effective signage welcomed.
• Trail surface condition: Is there any significant rutting? Washouts? Exposed culverts? Does it need to be graded?
• Rock climb conditions: Is there a lot of erosion? Are the rocks coming apart? Are the rocks becoming so exposed that other user groups could not use the trail?
• Water crossings: Are there culverts or bridges? What is their

condition? Are there boards missing? Are the approaches getting washed out? Do they need repair?

• Vegetation: Are there fallen trees/branches across the trail? Is the trail becoming overgrown?
• Garbage: Is there a lot of garbage? If so, is it from trail users such as beverage containers or food wrapping or has the area become a dumping ground for locals?
• Alterations: Are there alterations of the trail/landscape? Are people expanding or rerouting the traveled portion of the trail to avoid an obstacle such as a water hole or rocks? Can this be fixed to get users back on the trail?
• Are there signs of vandalism caused by trail users?

Benefits

• Meet new people in the sport
• Contribute to the sustainability of the trail system for off-road use
• Protect the environment
• Help other trail user groups enhance their riding experience
• Interact with other trail users
• Help all off-roaders have an enjoyable ride on safe and well maintained trails.
• Excellent opportunity for the family or friends to get together

Sign Me Up

If this sounds like something you would be interested in doing simply send an email to contact@sussexvalleyatvclub.com and if you have a trail in mind, specify which trail section you would like to adopt (see below for our trails with a brief description of each). If you find after a period of time you can no longer perform this service simply send an email to the same address and ask to be removed.

Adopt-a-trail Map

It is worth noting that a couple of our trails are quite long, so we have split them in two or more sections. This does not mean you cannot take the whole trail, just indicate that you would like both sections. Also, if you would like to take responsibility for more than one trail you are welcome to do that. Our trails are all prefixed with the number 34 which is our club’s number in the ATV Federation. The only exception is Trail # 18 which is the Provincial trail.

First you need to download “adopt-a-trail(latest date).xlsx spreadsheet from the files section of the SVAT Facebook group. To view a map of the trail section you are interested in simply click on the blue link in the right hand column. A map showing that section will open on your device. The list of trail sections can be found below: