Track Walking a Slope Before Seed and Rain Arrive

You finish grading a slope, the surface looks smooth and clean, and then the first half-inch rain cuts little channels straight down the face. Track walking a slope is one of the cheapest fixes for that problem, and it takes about an hour with a machine you probably already have on site.

I have graded residential and light commercial slopes for over 20 years, and track walking is still one of the first things I do once final grade is set. Done right, it holds soil and seed in place. Done wrong, it makes the erosion worse. Here is the difference.

What track walking a slope means

Track walking means driving a tracked machine, usually a small dozer or compact track loader, straight up and down the slope face so the tracks leave grooves running across the slope. Each grouser cleat presses a small horizontal ridge into the soil, about 1 to 2 inches deep. Those ridges act like thousands of tiny check dams.

When rain falls, water hits the ridge, slows down, and soaks in instead of picking up speed and soil on its way to the bottom. The same grooves also catch seed and mulch so they do not wash off in the first storm. Most state erosion control manuals list track walking as a standard surface roughening practice for slopes steeper than 3:1.

Direction is everything

This is the part people get wrong most often. The machine must travel up and down the slope, perpendicular to the contours. That way the cleat marks run across the slope, parallel to the contours.

If you drive across the slope instead, the tracks leave two long grooves running downhill. Those grooves become ready-made channels. I have seen a slope tracked sideways turn into a series of gullies 6 inches deep after a single summer storm. If you are already dealing with that kind of damage, our guide to fixing gully erosion covers the repair, but it is far easier to avoid it.

How to track walk a slope step by step

1. Finish grading first. Track walking is the last pass, after final grade and any topsoil spread. Do not cut or fill after this step.
2. Check moisture. Soil should be damp but not wet. Squeeze a handful: it should hold shape and break apart when poked. Wet clay will smear and seal instead of forming ridges.
3. Start at the top edge. Drive straight down the slope with the blade or bucket raised a few inches off the ground.
4. Back straight up. Reverse along the same line so the second pass deepens the cleat marks.
5. Shift over and repeat. Move over by slightly less than one track width so the whole face is covered with no smooth strips between passes.
6. Seed and mulch the same day. The grooves are freshest right after tracking. Get seed down before rain or wind softens them.

A quick field check tells you whether the job is right. Stand at the toe of the slope and look up. You should see a continuous ladder of short horizontal ridges from top to bottom, with no smooth strips and no long ruts running downhill. Then pour a five-gallon bucket of water near the crest. On a good tracking job, the water spreads sideways and soaks in within the first few feet. If it runs straight to the bottom in a narrow stream, the ridges are too shallow or the soil was too dry, and a second pass is worth the time.

On a typical residential slope of 2,000 to 4,000 square feet, a compact track loader can cover the face in 45 minutes to an hour and a half.

Machines, slopes and limits

Never track walk a slope you would not be comfortable driving straight down with the machine you have. On 2:1 faces, keep the heavy end uphill and do not turn on the slope. Turning on the face tears up the surface and is the fastest way to tip.

Why track walking alone is not enough

Some contractors treat track walking as the whole erosion plan. You will hear "we tracked it in, it'll be fine" on a lot of jobs. I disagree with that on anything steeper than about 3:1.

Track marks are temporary. In loose sandy soils they soften within a few rains, and on clay they can crust over and shed water after a dry spell. Their real job is to hold seed and mulch for the four to eight weeks it takes grass to establish roots. On steep or long slopes, the grooves should be backed up with an erosion control blanket installed on the graded slope or a hydroseed mix with tackifier. Think of tracking as the first layer of protection, not the last.

The same goes for water coming from above. If runoff from a roof, driveway or upslope yard pours over the top, no amount of tracking will hold. A diversion berm above the slope or a swale at the crest should handle that water before it ever reaches the face.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Tracking across the slope instead of up and down it.
• Working wet clay, which smears into a slick, sealed surface that sheds water.
• Leaving the tracked slope bare for days before seeding.
• Making tight turns on the face, which leaves loose berms that wash out first.
• Skipping the bottom few feet. The toe of the slope carries the most water and needs the ridges most.

If a slope still fails after you track it, the cause is usually upstream water, a slope that is simply too steep for its soil, or seed that never germinated. Our article on why a freshly graded slope fails after the first storm walks through those causes in order.

Frequently asked questions

Which direction should you track walk a slope?

Drive the machine straight up and down the slope, not across it. That leaves cleat marks running horizontally across the face. Those horizontal ridges slow runoff, while sideways tracking creates downhill channels.

How long does track walking last?

Track marks usually stay effective for four to eight weeks, depending on soil and rainfall. That is long enough to help seed germinate and roots begin to hold. After that, the vegetation or a blanket has to take over.

Can you track walk with a skid steer?

A wheeled skid steer does not work well because tires leave smooth ruts rather than cleat ridges. A compact track loader or a small dozer is the right tool. If you only have wheels, hand raking across the slope is a better choice.