Five Tips for Sharing Your Favorite Trails on Social Media

We all love sharing the amazing trails and destinations we hike to. Whether it's an alpine peak or a glacier-fed lake, Washington is photogenic. Before you snap and share your next hiking shot, consider these tips for creating a positive trail culture and becoming a steward for the wild places we share.

Show off your Leave No Trace camp

Katie Mae Fellows shows off her LNT campsite (which looks amazing!).

Be aware of wildlife and keep your distance

Those mountain goats and marmots are mad cute, but remember to give them plenty of space. No matter how cute a face they have or how much they beg, a sweet shot on your phone isn't a reason to feed or approach wildlife too closely. Use a zoom lens to capture wildlife from a safe distance. This not only keeps you safe, but doesn’t disrupt the animals in their natural habitat.

Instagrammer Gabe Purpur snapped this shot while keeping some distance between him and the animals.

Lead by example

Being a steward of the outdoors means that it falls on you to show how to treat the outdoors with respect. Lead by example and show proper Leave No Trace practices and safe activities.

That doesn’t mean your photos need to be boring. Make them awesome and exciting, but don’t forget to set an example for others to follow. You never know who might find your photos and emulate your actions (good or bad).

Instagrammer fisheye49 found trash on the trail and picked it up! This is a great way to promote good practices on trail.

Choose when and where to share locations

If you visit a fragile backcountry environment, consider the implications of leaving an exact geo-targeted location on your social media posts, as that may encourage a larger number of people to visit an area not intended for heavy use.

If you're on a popular trail, consider showcasing how to treat and navigate well-traveled trails so other hikers can understand the implications of hiking in some of the more popular areas in Washington. For example, point out how cutting switchbacks can damage plant life, etc.

Seattle based photographer Scott Rinckenberger recently posed this question to his Instagram followers on sharing locations of backcountry destinations. These can be challenging topics to approach, but are great for bringing awareness to issues.

Give positive feedback

See an awesome photo in your circles on Instagram, Tumblr, or on a trip report where someone is promoting proper outdoor etiquette? Give them kudos! Nothing will promote the protection of our amazing trails and wild spaces on social media more than positive reinforcement of good practices.

Give kudos to hikers doing the right thing when you see it! This comment was left on a trip report by SandyD where she put out a fire that was burning outside a designated fire ring.

Have other tips or comments on sharing hiking experiences via social media? Share your thoughts with us.