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Puncheon is a wooden walkway used to cross bogs or deep muskeg, to bridge boulder fields, or to cross small streams. It can be used where uneven terrain or lack of tread material makes turnpike construction impractical. Puncheon is also preferred over turnpike where firm, mineral soil cannot be easily reached; puncheon can be supported on muddy surfaces better than turnpike, which requires effective drainage.

Puncheon resembles a short version of the familiar log stringer trail bridge. It consists of a deck or flooring made of sawn, treated timber or native logs placed on stringers to elevate the trail across wet areas that are not easy to drain. Puncheon that is slightly elevated is termed surface puncheon. Puncheon placed flush with the wetland surface is known as subsurface puncheon.