_With my industry hat off, I understand the desire for less crowded trails. However it's a selfish thought, and in reality the more people that use our trails responsibly (no matter how they use them), the more people there are to support those networks and benefit from what they provide: health and wellness, a good way to socialize and be part of a community, etc. Also, by encouraging more people to use and understand the trails, we have more chances to teach responsible trail use, so that the next generation of hikers and riders is courteous to each other, picks up after themselves, etc._
This. It's really nice to see someone look at trails through a lens other than their optimal experience.
It's pretty rich to complain about how selfish many trail users are while simultaneously wishing fewer people got to experience the increase in overall well-being that comes from physical activity in natural environments.
Sept. 13, 2023, 6:16 p.m. - DancingWithMyself
_With my industry hat off, I understand the desire for less crowded trails. However it's a selfish thought, and in reality the more people that use our trails responsibly (no matter how they use them), the more people there are to support those networks and benefit from what they provide: health and wellness, a good way to socialize and be part of a community, etc. Also, by encouraging more people to use and understand the trails, we have more chances to teach responsible trail use, so that the next generation of hikers and riders is courteous to each other, picks up after themselves, etc._ This. It's really nice to see someone look at trails through a lens other than their optimal experience. It's pretty rich to complain about how selfish many trail users are while simultaneously wishing fewer people got to experience the increase in overall well-being that comes from physical activity in natural environments.