How we hike matters: 4 good reasons why staying on trail helps trails and public lands
WTA believes in trails. In their power to connect people with the natural world, and their power to protect the outdoor places they travel through. If properly used, trails are a conservation tool that:
- Minimize human impact on natural places
- Promote the conservation of landscapes
- Inspire people to take action for the environment
WTA works with land managers and hikers like you to plan for the infrastructure we need to increase opportunities for hikers of all varieties to experience nature, while minimizing our impacts on the landscapes we visit.
Photo by Kate Jacob.
We know hikers have an impact. How we hike affects the other people sharing the trail with us, the wildlife that lives nearby and surrounding nature.
We can all do our part to protect the places we love, and staying on trail is an essential piece.
Here are four of the biggest reasons why it’s important to stay on trail.
Trails minimize environmental impact
Trails protect the nature surrounding them by concentrating human within narrow corridors.
Many studies show that managing the way people visit the outdoors — through infrastructure, regulations and education — is the most effective way of protecting natural landscapes.
“Trails offer access. They are vital to many to experience all nature has to offer, and can concentrate and minimize environmental impact if coupled with education,” says hiker and a member of WTA’s Trail Action Network, Trina Waters.
Prevent erosion and keep water clean
When constructing trails, managing the way that rain flows over the trail is key to making trails that will last. It can also keep water cleaner as it moves through the landscape. When hikers stick to the path of the trail, it helps keep soil in place and water flowing clean and healthy.
“Trails are designed to follow the contours of the slope and shed water slowly through sheeting or designed drainages. When switchbacks are cut between the contoured legs of the trail, erosion is likely as water takes the path of least resistance causing trenching and soil loss, as well as soil delivery into potential fish and wildlife habitat,” says Arlen Bogaards, who has been building and maintaining trails with WTA’s trails team for more than 15 years.
Preserve areas for wildlife
Preserving places and sensitive seasons for animals to engage in their regular behaviors helps wildlife populations thrive. When people stay on trail, it can reduce the impact of human presence for a wide variety of species.
“In recent years, unauthorized trail building has become increasingly problematic in the Methow Wildlife Area,” says Brandon Troyer with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. “User-built trails now stratify areas meant to provide habitat for wildlife, such as migratory mule deer. These trails fragment mule deer habitat, disrupt natural movement patterns, and inhibit access to vital resources such as food, water, and cover.”
Photo by Elizabeth Howlett, Emma Grace Howlett, Hanna Brender.
Protect fragile plants and ecosystems
When hikers venture off-trail to take a photo amongst wildflowers or set up a tent in an alpine meadow, it can be hard to see the impact of those small choices. But over time, especially in places with a short summer season where plants only have a few weeks to grow and reproduce, these actions have lasting impacts. It can take decades for places to recover from off-trail activity.
“Subalpine soil is fragile, friable, and easily worn,” warns Mount Rainier National Park. “Trampled soil can be packed too hard to support plant growth. Subalpine plants live by thin margins, facing fierce competition for resources and enduring long winters and harsh conditions. After surviving all this, their greatest threat may be the millions of visitors coming to appreciate them.”
Even when a wildflower meadow beckons us, even when a muddy section deters us, we can stay the course on the path ahead. When we do, we know we are keeping ourselves and other hikers safe, and keeping ecosystems healthy.
As people who love time outside, we gain so much from trails. Thank you for pledging to stay on trail to care for trails, nature and other hikers!