A Dutch sand ladder is a cable or rope ladder with rungs usually made of wood, lying on a sandy slope to allow persons to ascend or descend with minimal

erosion Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as Surface runoff, water flow or wind) that removes soil, Rock (geology), rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust#Crust, Earth's crust and then sediment transport, tran ...

. Use of Dutch Sand Ladders in

Fort Funston Fort Funston is a former Seacoast defense in the United States, harbor defense installation located on the West Side (San Francisco), West Side of San Francisco in the southwestern part of the city. Formerly known as the Lake Merced Milita ...

. Illustrated. The bottom end is anchored and the top end is designed for easy disconnection so that the ladder can be lifted up to shake loose any sand that has accumulated on the rungs. The ability to be easily maintained and reset makes sand ladders useful trail features for steep

sand dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...

s or other easily eroded areas where permanent structures are infeasible or impractical.

References

* Discussion of Dutch sand ladders, boardwalks, and other walkway constructions for sand dune access management, illustrated Hiking {{Geo-term-stub