Traveling to or exploring national parks by foot, bicycle, or other nonmotorized modes provides visitors with opportunities to experience natural, cultural, and historical places in new ways. Active transportation infrastructure and programs offer a broad range of benefits to parks and surrounding communities, including helping to better manage vehicle congestion, promoting resource preservation, supporting economic development in gateway communities, and accommodating current and increased visitation by providing alternatives to driving.
The NPS Active Transportation Guidebook (Download Available)
The National Park Service (NPS) Active Transportation Guidebook aims to assist and inspire parks and their partners to identify and pursue opportunities that enhance active transportation, particularly walking and biking, to and within national parks.The Guidebook includes reference resources and solutions for superintendents, planners, transportation and facility managers, and others on managing vehicle congestion, promoting resource preservation, and accommodating increased visitation by providing alternatives to driving. The Guidebook covers a number of topics from planning and developing infrastructure, such as pedestrian pathways and bike lanes, to evaluating and improving safety for active transportation modes, to offering activities and programs that provide park visitors the opportunity to explore national parks by foot, bicycle, or other non-motorized means.
Originally published in 2018, NPS updated the Guidebook in 2023 to include the latest active transportation information, examples, and guidance. The updated Guidebook includes new and updated considerations and resources for key topic areas, including active transportation safety, advancing equity and inclusion, electric bicycle use, and emerging mobility technologies to enhance walking and biking.
Click here to download your copy. (Low-Resolution)
Webinars on the NPS Active Transportation Guidebook
The NPS hosted two webinars in 2018 to provide an overview of the topics included in the Guidebook and featured guest speakers who described active transportation projects and programs at parks around the country.The target audience for these webinars is park staff and partner organizations that are interested in learning more about active transportation opportunities in national parks. See below for the presentation slides and webinar recordings.
Webinar 1: Building Safe Active Transportation Infrastructure
Wednesday, October 31 - 1-2:30pm ET
Webinar Slides and Recording
Topics covered:
- Overview of the NPS Active Transportation Guidebook and the benefits of active transportation for national parks.
- Description of the policy and planning context for walking and bicycling projects in national parks.
- Introduction of the types of infrastructure that can support walking and biking at parks and surrounding communities.
- Description of strategies to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety.
- Case study examples:
+ Implementing the Outer Cape Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (Lauren McKean, Cape Code National Seashore).
+ Shared use pathways near Grand Teton National Park (Tim Young, Wyoming Pathways)
Webinar 2: Programs, Partnerships, and Technologies for Active Transportation
Monday, November 5 - 2-3:30pm ET
Webinar Slides & Recording
Topics covered:
- Overview of the NPS Active Transportation Guidebook and the benefits of active transportation for national parks.
- Discussion of how partnerships with surrounding communities can support active transportation efforts.
- Overview of the types of active transoprtation programs that parks and partners can implement, including touris, car-free opportunities, bicycle rental and sharing systems, and programs for employees.
- Description of innovative technologies and emerging trends in active transportation that are impacting national parks.
- Case study examples:
+ Glacier National Park bicycle programs (Richard Menicke, Glacier National Park)
+ E-bike opportunities and considerations (Morgan Lommele, People for Bikes)
Last updated: July 30, 2023