Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Department

Geography

First Advisor

Christopher Badurek

Abstract

Outdoor recreation, such as hiking, is an important component of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, especially in regions such as Central New York where natural areas are abundant. Hiking trails provide opportunities for people to connect with the environment, making it important that individuals of all abilities can access and experience these spaces. However, many environmental and physical factors can influence the difficulty and accessibility of hiking trails. This study evaluates trail accessibility at Lime Hollow Nature Center in Cortland, New York using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and field-based data collection. Field observations were collected along the Art Meadow Loop and Lehigh Valley Trail to document trail width, surface type, slope, and obstacles. These attributes were standardized into an accessibility index representing overall trail difficulty and analyzed using Kernel Density Estimation to identify clusters of accessibility challenges. The analysis highlights areas with more difficult trail conditions and indicates where accessibility may be improved.

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