Natural surface trails, bridges, and drainage structures. USFS and public lands contractor since 2004. Virginia incorporated, working nationally.
High Country Conservation was founded in 2004 by former employees of Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico who had worked together on trail and bridge construction there. Since then we've completed 40+ contracts for the USFS, BLM, state agencies, municipalities, land management organizations, and user groups, with over $4 million in contract value. The partner group has gotten smaller over the years, but Josh and James as managing partners have a combined 50+ years of trail work experience and have been doing this work for the entirety of their post-college lives.
We run a small core crew by preference — the principals who estimate and bid every job are the ones building it. For larger projects we've scaled to 10+ employees and maintain a network of experienced trailbuilders available to travel.
We do trail design and construction, and bridge construction. Our work ranges from remote wilderness trail maintenance to multi-mile MTB network design and construction to suspension bridge replacement. We go above contract specifications whenever possible — the goal is a product that's functional, sustainable, and well-used by the end user.
Equipment: Yanmar SV-08-1B and Caterpillar 300.9 micro-excavators (1,700–2,000 lbs, 28" tracks, capable of 2-foot finished singletrack in steep and rocky terrain with aftermarket safety rigging); Caterpillar 302 and 301.8 mini-excavators (3,700–4,000 lbs, 36"–4-ft tread, preferred for wider trail and bike construction); Sweco 480 trail dozer for rough cutting and wider trail work. All owned, not rented or leased. We carry a wide variety of additional power and hand equipment — if it's been used for trail work, we have experience with it.
| Year | Project | Location | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy | Pittsburgh, PA | Trail construction and maintenance |
| 2024–25 | Manistee River Suspension Bridge | Manistee NF · MI | 245-foot bridge, 80% replacement |
| 2023 | Poverty Creek Trail Club | Roanoke, VA | New MTB trail design and construction |
| 2021–22 | Olmsted Parks | Louisville, KY | Multi-year trail rehab, 3 parks |
| 2020 | Maryland Mountain MTB Network | Black Hawk, CO | 14-mile MTB network, design and construction, prime contractor |
| 2020 | Brown Mountain Trail | Grandfather RD · NC | Singletrack, OHV, articulated concrete |
| 2020 | Iron Mountain Trail | GW & Jefferson NF · VA | Washout reconstruction |
| 2020 | Panther Creek Falls | Chattahoochee-Oconee NF · GA | Retaining wall, rock steps, tread rebuild, hand carry only |
| 2019 | USFS Bridge Replacement | Columbia area · SC | Full bridge replacement |
| 2019 | Suspension Bridge Redecking | Idaho | Full deck replacement |
| 2019 | Badin Lake OHV | Uwharrie NF · NC | OHV trail work |
| 2018–19 | Crabtree Falls Trail | GW & Jefferson NF · VA | Bridge replacement, retaining wall, fencing, crib steps, deck, trail reconstruction |
| 2018 | Chattooga River Put-ins | Sumter NF · SC | 4 river access trails: hardening, paving, steps, drainage |
| 2014–19 | Bitterroot NF Maintenance | Bitterroot NF · MT | Recurring trail maintenance |
| 2015 | Bartram Trail Extension | Nantahala NF · NC | 3+ miles trail design and construction, 40 tons fieldstone steps |
| 2014 | Frank Church / Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness | Idaho | Wilderness trail maintenance |
| 2013 | Kettle Crest NRT | Colville NF · WA | 17 miles regrading and reconstruction |
Trail design and construction
New construction, reconstruction, washout repair, regrading, drainage. Natural surface, OHV, and MTB. If it's in the USFS trail specs, we've installed it.
Bridges and structures
Glulam and suspension bridge construction and replacement. Retaining walls, crib steps, cantilevered decks. Largest completed: 245-foot span.
Tread hardening
Paving, French drains, culverts, step construction. Fieldstone, concrete, articulated concrete block.
Equipment
Micro-excavators: Yanmar SV-08-1B and Cat 300.9 (1,700–2,000 lbs, 28" tracks, 2-ft singletrack). Mini-excavators: Cat 302 and 301.8 (3,700–4,000 lbs, 36"–4-ft tread). Sweco 480 trail dozer. All owned.
Federal contracting
40+ USFS contracts across 20+ National Forests in 10+ states. Experienced with federal procurement, documentation, and reporting.
Core crew below. For larger projects we've worked with 10+ employees and have a network of experienced trailbuilders available to travel.
Josh Thomas
Principal
B.S. Park & Resource Management — Kansas State
Bridge construction, trail design and construction, user management. Estimates and administration. With HCC since 2004.
James Bakner
Principal
B.S. Civil Engineering — UT Austin
Maintenance, repair, heavy equipment. Civil engineering background applied to trail and bridge work.
Chase Tribble
Trail Specialist · Since 2017
B.A. Geography — San Francisco State
Full-time trail construction since 2017. Involved in 12+ HCC contracts. Experienced in bridge and trail elements; specializes in custom carpentry and heavy equipment operation.
Incorporated
Virginia · Work nationwide