Assessing heritage trails: trail conditions and influential managerial factors for the Nakahechi route on the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage network

Abstract

Relatively few studies have conducted quantitative assessments of historically important heritage trails. Their current conditions, relative to their long maintenance history, are even less well examined. This research aims to apply trail assessment techniques developed in a recreational context to the heritage trails of the Nakahechi route—which is part of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage network—located in the vast forests of Japan’s Kii Peninsula. Point sampling was used to gather data on the trails’ surface characteristics, conditions, designs, and use-related variables. Trail conditions and design characteristics were summarized according to their surface characteristics, in order to identify the underlying environmental factors that potentially influenced the choice of different managerial methods. A series of exploratory multivariate regressions were then performed to examine the factors that influenced trail incisions. Regression analyses revealed that trail grades, trail widths, and use types are robust predictors for trail incisions. Managerial practices exemplified by the trails’ surface characteristics were found to influence trail design variables. For example, the additions of log water-bars and step construction on trail incisions along the trails were analyzed. The findings suggested that managers must address different trail characteristics when considering their historical context. Trail assessment surveys have been widely reported in the recreational literature, yet they have rarely been applied to heritage trails in mountainous areas. Assessing heritage trails, however, can be of great importance for their sustainable management.