Volunteer Resources

Hyde Park Trail Meetings

Interested in learning more? Or staying on track? The Hyde Park Trail committee meets monthly, and meetings are open to the public. For more information about attending, or to learn about getting involved with Hyde Park Trails, contact Hyde Park Recreation at 845-229-8086 or email us.

End2End event table 2016
Woman marking a trail

Volunteer Forms

All volunteers should be sure to obtain, read carefully and sign whatever forms are appropriate for the host organization, whether you are maintaining trails or assisting with events. These forms may be subject to change, so we recommend that you check in directly with your park or event host. Some examples are:

Trail Maintenance Manual

The NY-NJ Trail Conference Trail Maintenance Manual (PDF) is the standard “how to” reference for maintaining trails in our area. NOT geared to trail construction. Pocket-friendly hardcopies are available to those who attend a trail maintenance workshop

Trail Maintenance Manual Cover
Painting blazes on a tree

Trail Blazing from the Renaissance through the Space Age

An amusing and EXTREMELY helpful “How-To” (PDF) for trail marking with painted blazes or plastic markers.

Trail Blazing Guidelines in Hyde Park

  • Plastic trail markers in Mill-Norrie State Park follow the NYS-OPRHP trail marking system.
  • Plastic “Hyde Park Trail” logo markers are used only on the through-route of the Hyde Park Trail. This includes the 9-mile continuous trail section from Top Cottage to Vanderbilt, including the Vanderbilt loop. It also includes the Dominican Overlook Trail, from the Thompson Rd trailhead in Mills-Norrie to the River Ridge townhouses.
  • All other trails use painted trail blazes. Standard paint blazes are 2” wide by 3” tall (sometimes 2”x4”). We recommend making a     stencil /pattern cut from a file folder. Please make your blazes as neat as possible.
  • Where the Hyde Park Trail is co-aligned with other marked trails, the Hyde Park Trail marker should be placed ABOVE the other trail marker.
  • Trail blazing kits are available from the Parks & Recreation Department.

Hyde Park Trail Signs

Directional signs for Hyde Park Trails are made by volunteers and partners. If you are interested in learning how, ask about joining one of our occasional sign-making workshops.

You’re already a woodworker? We can arrange for you to make them at home.

Have you noticed a trail sign that needs repair or replacement? Drop us an email; we keep a running list of signage needs.

BOCES students holding hand-carved signs