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Get it added on Trailforks and people can use that to follow it if they really don't want to explore a small woods for possible trails...if it is that small, shouldn't be an issue if people get 'lost' as they'll be back on a main trail soon enough.
Waymarking always sounds helpful, but in a number of cases...it isn't. This sounds like it isn't as it is a small area...
All my opinion and appreciate others may not agree and have a wrong opinion! 😉
Ironically people suggested dog poo bags as a joke but others are seriously suggesting hanging tape which effectively are just empty dog poo bags! You could use tape for a say a weekend whilst you rode it repeatedly to there was a line on the ground to follow, but I'd be surprised if that was really needed... To be socially acceptable you should then go and remove all the tape otherwise its litter. Marker paint would be better but less permanent (which is why it is better) - our local woods encourages the local club to spray direct on the ground to mark hazards etc - depending on traffic and weather it will last between ~3-30 days! Sprayed on the trees etc it would last longer, but if everyone did that it would just be a giant mess of long-forgotten arrows or blobs. Your slightly quicker bike ride (because you can surely work it out without any arrows etc if you slow down a bit) isn't more important than everyone else's enjoyment of those woods without the vandalism. Think that's unreasonable? then just get the landowner's permission and its not vandalism.
Long distance paths throughout Europe use paint markers extensively.
But that's for LONG DISTANCE trails. Weirdly, we have similar in this country - we even erect markers on big concrete pillars and signposts for LONG DISTANCE trails. Should we all do this for a short XC loop in a 'small wood'? Perhaps the dog walkers should mark their routes as well, in case they get lost? In fact everyone should mark their routes with a variety of methods and colours. We could end up with the first multicoloured copse in the world.
Similar to the sawdust idea above, actually I prefer that as it’s reusing waste, we use flour for marking running routes.
The local Facebook Woodland Action Group advocated phoning the police after this was spotted in some local woods. They decided unilaterally that it was someone trying to poison dogs. They are nutters though.
But that’s for LONG DISTANCE trails. Weirdly, we have similar in this country – we even erect markers on big concrete pillars and signposts for LONG DISTANCE trails.
They use them for short distance trails, too.
"The woods are public"
No worries then.
Perhaps the dog walkers should mark their routes as well, in case they get lost?
Judging by the amount my dog pishes everywhere that's already a thing.
We need way more trail signage in the uk.
I was watching some Austrian mtb vids on YouTube, and they mark their trails by spray-painting rocks and trees with their national flag.
It would be easier if you had a template pre-cut, to spray your paint over.
Might get a bit complex if you’re Welsh😉
personally I am glad we do not have the tradition of path marking with paint and the OPs idea is IMO absurd
^^^ I totally agree with TJ.
Now we have GPS on phones there's no need for it, even for people who don't have the best navigation skills.
In a wee tight woodland loop, GPS will struggle, and tbh if it's as small a loop as it sounds, not really needed.
Rake it out and learn it.
personally I am glad we do not have the tradition of path marking with paint
Thing is, it sounds intrusive (Paint on trees! That's graffiti!) but in practice it isn't - it's a couple of maybe 15x4cm stripes every 30m or so, and they're often pretty faded. They're nothing like as visually intrusive as a signpost, for example.
Whether they're needed in the OP's forest is a separate matter, that I don't know.
I'd personally also avoid paint or tape or whatever.
What seems to work well here is to selectively mark edges with sticks, and rake a strip of the top layer of leaves back (ye olde 5:10 shoe works fine). Then maybe light touch pruning of whippy branches. If you concentrate on key bits (corners mostly) that can yield an easy trail to follow.
Once it's ridden in a bit no marking really required.
One thing to consider: one local woods near me has lots of DH runs and in fairness is hard to navigate because there are so many ways down. But that makes it very flexible: trails are added to, bits that are less flowy or whatever get rerouted, old trails that don't get ridden fade away. By having no markings evolution is possible. And if everyone stopped riding there it would just be woodland again in a few winters time. Well, apart from all the plastic bottles 🙁 but that's another discussion.
I'm with Tom on this:
selectively mark edges with sticks, and rake a strip of the top layer of leaves back (ye olde 5:10 shoe works fine). Then maybe light touch pruning of whippy branches