Do You Have Trail Etiquette?

Well, do ya?

It’s a heated topic amongst experienced trail snobs regarding “weekend warriors”. Who has proper trail etiquette and who actually cares?

Just like my post about geo-tagging, the trail etiquette topic has garnered even more attention because of the increase in trail users due to Covid. No festivals, no concerts and limited indoor activity options pushed more people to experience the great outdoors over the last couple years and it seems that the appreciation of our trails has stuck around even as other options have opened back up. We all bought new designer hiking boots, swiss army knives and solar powered fan hats over the last two summers and goddamnit, we’re gonna use em’! We all bought that stuff, right?

It’s amazing to see so many people taking in the serenity of the local hiking trails and experiencing everything the outdoors has to offer but it begs the question, have they been properly ‘trained’ in trail etiquette?

But I Want Everyone To Hear My Fav Song!

No Chaz, you can’t play your music out loud on the trail for everyone to hear! Or can you?

I mean, there aren’t a lot of official “rules” for using the trail, not in BC anyway. BC Parks do have some rules and suggestions for general park use but most of those apply to camping, not hiking. Ie; put your fires out, no noise between 11pm-7am, drive carefully, no hunting/trapping, etc.

The rules for trail use are mostly just common sense; don’t litter, don’t start a fire, heed trail signage, pick up your dog poop. Although, on literally every hike I’ve been on I see one or more of these rules being offended. If you can’t handle the responsibility of picking up dog s#!t then don’t get a dog!! Sorry, I got triggered there.

But what about the unspoken rules of the trail? The ones that the weekend warrior might not know about and aren’t common sense to most people?

Okay, You Pretentious Trail Protector, What Are The “Rules”?

Here are some of the unwritten trail rules that I like to follow:

• Hike single file when in a group and passing others
  • This one should really be common sense as it’s the same thing you should do on a narrow sidewalk but, for some reason, people still don’t do it. Trails can be thin and dangerous (roots, rocks, drop-offs) so respect hikers that you’re passing and hike single file.
• Single hikers yield to groups
  • It’s a lot easier and less dangerous for a single hiker to yield to the side of the trail rather than a group of 4 or 5 people to do so.
• Yield to hikers coming uphill
  • This one can be hard to remember especially when you’re in “the zone”, and I’m guilty of not following it sometimes, but hikers coming uphill have the right of way. They typically have limited vision compared to hikers going downhill. It’s also a lot harder to get your rhythm back when going uphill and having to stop to let people by. Unless the uphill hiker needs a break and offers to stop to let you by, you should yield to them when you’re going downhill.
• Let faster hikers pass
  • To some, it might seem like a bruise to the ego to see someone pass you on the trail but we’ve all been stuck behind someone who’s going slower than us (HOV lane, grocery store checkout, Slurpee machine) and we know how frustrating it is. The trail is supposed to be calming so just step off to the side, let them pass and re-find your trail tranquility.
• Stay on the trails, stay off the sensitive eco-systems
  • The trails are for hiking on, the plant life is not for hiking on. If we want to see these beautiful forests flourish then we can’t be trampling all over them by the thousands each day. Stay on the designated trails.
• Nobody wants to hear your music
  • Got it, Chaz?! If you want to hear music when you hike, put your headphones in. Most people (myself included) get on the trail to hear, well, nothing. Keep the speaker blasting EDM at the beach or in your backyard.
• Keep your dogs on leash if it’s not an off-leash trail
  • Don’t @ me. I’m sure you have the cutest, friendliest, most well-behaved fluff ball in the world but dogs get excited and can be temporarily disobedient, especially when they see another dog or a squirrel. On a narrow trail or over a walkway bridge, having a dog blast by you or come jump up on you to say “hi” can be extremely dangerous. I’ve seen somebody get knocked off a walkway bridge in to a stream (on an on-leash trail) by a playful dog (who was off-leash).
  • You also don’t know the trauma or fears that other people and animals have towards dogs. You might see a giant furry friend coming to give you a slobbery kiss while a person with cynophobia might see a wild beast coming to attack them.
• Pack it in, pack it out
  • I know this is in the common sense list above but it needs to be reiterated. Don’t litter, leave no trace, leave the trail with more than you came with. However you want to express it, don’t leave your trash on the trail. That’s a big a$$hole move right there.
  • If you want to go the extra mile to learn what you can do to reduce your impact on these sensitive eco-systems, check out Leave No Trace Canada’s site.
• Be courteous and friendly to your fellow hikers
  • Again, more of a common sense thing but don’t be a jerk. Say hi or wave or even the classic head nod (that’s my go-to).

But those are just my thoughts, what do some of my fellow trail tramps have to say on the topic?

Fellow Hikers, Spread Your Gospel

From @explorewithbeer who lives in Oregon and regularly hits the Pacific Northwest trails….

“One I’ve been noticing more lately would be to pay attention to how you park at the trailhead! Park in a way that allows for maximum space for other cars and pay attention not to block the most logical turnaround areas.

There’s obviously a handful of other common gripes like littering (I’ll never understand this), playing terrible music on a terrible Bluetooth speaker, leaving no trace/not disrupting or removing vegetation, etc… but folks have been wildin out in the parking lots this year.”

From @hoppymountainman who hails from Colorado and can be found hittin’ the slopes and sippin’ suds in the Rockies….

“I have the utmost respect for Mother Nature. I’ve always lived by the motto, “leave no trace” when going on hikes. Whether that means packing out everything I brought with or making sure to stay on the trail at all times. My goal is not to disturb the environment I seek to continue to enjoy.“

From @westcoasthomebrewer who I hit the local British Columbia trails with….

“Trail etiquette for me isn’t only about respecting the trail/park itself, but also respecting your fellow trail goers. Everyone is out on the trail for their own reasons and it is super easy to respect others while enjoying your own adventure. My top 5 guidelines would be;

• 1. Don’t blast that music….no one else on the trail wants to hear that racket blasting through the woods. You’re outside, enjoy it!
• 2. Respect the flow of traffic. Everyone hikes at their own pace and that’s great! Just don’t spread your group 6 wide across the trail forming an impassable wall.
• 3. Stay on the trail and respect the terrain around you. Keep these awesome places beautiful and open for all to enjoy!
• 4. Be prepared and know your terrain. Pack what you need in case of an emergency and be wildlife aware. This will help you and everyone on the trail.
• 5. Last but certainly not least, Pack It In, Pack It Out! Respect these beautiful places and leave no trace.“

So, what do you think? Do you have proper trail etiquette or are our standards too high?