Showerthought: Marked trails are ruining the real backpacking experience

I've seen too many new trails in my area get full signposts and painted blazes on every tree. It turns a route into a sidewalk and kills the need to actually read a map. Last trip, I ignored the markers and bushwhacked parallel to the trail, which felt way more authentic. We're training a generation of hikers who can't navigate without hand-holding.

3 comments

3 Comments

troyp371mo ago

You're right about hurting the place you love... that's a really good point I didn't fully consider. I guess I just miss the feeling of figuring it out myself, but maybe there's a better spot for that. Going off trail right next to a path is probably the worst way to do it.

henderson.margaret1mo ago

Wait, you made your own trail right next to the marked one? That's how erosion starts and plants get trampled. I once followed a guy doing that and we ended up in a patch of poison oak, no fun. Those markers help stop people from wandering into delicate spots. It feels wild until you realize you're just hurting the place you love. There's a reason parks put up signs, to keep both hikers and nature okay.

the_alex1mo ago

Margaret's right about the damage, but sometimes those markers get blown down or washed out after storms. Following a dead-end trail wastes more time and causes more trampling when groups spread out searching.