The Shawnee National Forest Service and Society policy for blazing the River to River Trail (R2R) is to install enough blazes (reassurance markers) to navigate the trail but not an excessive number blazes so that the next blaze is always in sight.

• All blazes are to be placed using the Avenza App and the official River to River Trail Bundle from the map store in Avenza. Anybody that wants to volunteer to maintain blazes along the R2R must agree to use this app and install blazes along the official trail shown in Avenza. This is an absolute necessity because the maps in Avenza are the only ones that can be controlled by the Forest Service & Society. Apps like “All Trails”, “GAIA” and others are completely unacceptable because neither the Forest Service or the Society has control of or maintains the trails shown in those apps.
  • This requirement is mandatory because back before the trail was re-blazed in 2017 (with the help of a National Trails grant) we had lots of folks installing blazes along lots of trails. Because the FS maps were way out of date at the time and numerous reroutes had been built, we had a lot of blazes going up on various trails that folks thought were part of the R2R. This has been a problem for a long time because the author of the trail guide knows of numerous trails that are not part of the R2R and may have never been a part of the R2R, but there numerous blue eyes painted on trees along those trails which further creates confusion.

• Basically the policy is to install blazes at all trail intersections so the hiker knows which way to go. Blazes are to be installed on each side of the intersection so that the trail can be followed both directions. For long sections of trail where there isn’t any other trail intersections, additional blazes are not necessary to hike the trail but may be installed at 1 mile intervals.**
  • This means the next blaze will rarely be in sight when walking by a blaze.
  • Hikers should be actively looking for blazes at all trail intersections but not along sections of trail that are continuous without other trail intersections.
  • Similarly along road sections, hikers should be actively looking for blazes at road intersections and where the trail leaves the road only. Additional blazes are unnecessary and labor intensive to maintain. It is the hiker’s responsibility to review the maps and know approximately where the trail leaves a road so they know where to watch for blazes.
  • Hikers need to be aware that equestrians and other users are always creating new trails which means and those intersections may not be marked. If a hiker encounters that situation it is highly recommended they consult the Avenza maps to determine the appropriate trail direction.
  • Hikers shall also be aware that trees are falling all of the time along the R2R and sometimes they take trail blazes down with them, if the trail isn’t plainly visible on the other side of the tree fall it is recommended the Avenza maps be consulted.
  • This policy is non negotiable, so if you are looking for a trail that has blazes every 100 yards then you need to look for another trail. The R2R trail goes through a national forest, two state parks, a wildlife refuge and several sections of private property and these agencies all agreed back in 2017 that hiking the trail should be a challenge and a marker every 100 yards would remove the challenge and experience of hiking the R2R trail.

• Blazes to be used must be in compliance with the following standards:
  • All along the non wilderness section of the trail will consist of a white and blue plastic diamonds that are 5″ x 7″. One source of these trail markers can be found here. The “i” is cut into the white diamond using a 1″ long wood chisel which makes a 1″ square hole (4 cuts) for the top of the “i” and a 1″x2″ rectangular hole (6 cuts) for the bottom of the “i”. The markers look like this:
  • All along the wilderness sections of the trail the markers are to be made of wood with the “i” routed into the wood in the same dimensions as noted above. The wilderness sections of the trail include Garden of the Gods Wilderness, Lusk Creek Wilderness, Panther Den Wilderness, Bald Knob Wilderness and Clear Springs Wilderness. The wilderness limits are clearly shown in the respective maps of the R2R Trail Bundle. Typically the Forest Service has been making these blazes. During meetings back in 2017, the Forest Service wouldn’t allow any finish or paint on the wooden blazes which what was installed in 2017, however in 2024 newer Forest Service staff agreed the blazes were not sufficient so the new signs have the “i” burnt and the entire wooden blaze is sealed in an attempt to reduce decolorization of the blaze. These markers look like this old one: and this newer one:
  • The blazes are to be nailed up using 3″ galvanized nails. Any blaze installed on a live tree shall be installed such that the blaze is at least 1.5″ away from the tree for the plastic blazes and 0.5″ away from the tree for the wooden blazes. The purpose of this is so that growth of the tree will cause the nails to bend but not damage the blaze. Blazes nailed tight to the tree will fail prematurely as the tree grows.
  • At trail and road intersections, the dot on the “i” will always point in the direction the trail goes. Therefore if there is a 90 degree turn in the trail the “i” will be sideways with the dot pointed in the direction the trail turns. If there is not an intersection and the turn is obvious, then there is no need for additional blazes.
  • When the trail crosses streams, a blaze shall be installed and maintained on both sides of the stream so it is visible from the opposite side of the stream.

Anyone volunteering to install blazes needs to agree to be a part of the R2R Trail Stewards program and provide documentation to the Society of the work accomplished including volunteer hours. It is noted that the blazing policy shown on this page is no different than the one shown on the Trail Stewards page.

Footnote:

** This policy was developed based on the Forest Service “Installing Reassurance Markers” guide as linked and shown below:

• Reassurance markers are used only where the trail is not obvious. If the tread is obvious during the regular use season, these markers aren’t needed. Reassurance markers may be helpful if a trail is hard to follow because the tread is indistinct, regularly covered with snow during part of the normal use season, or if weather conditions (such as fog) make the trail hard to distinguish at times. Reassurance markers also are helpful at junctions with nonsystem (informal) trails, or where multiple trails cause confusion.