I used to think the John Muir Trail was too crowded to be worth it

I hiked a section near Thousand Island Lake last month and saw so many people setting up camp right next to the water, which is a huge no-no for Leave No Trace. It really messes up the shoreline and pollutes the lake. Seeing that made me realize the problem isn't the number of people, it's that not enough of us know the basic rules. Anyone have tips for teaching good trail ethics to new backpackers you meet out there?

3 comments

3 Comments

reese_nelson2mo ago

Funny, I had the same thought about crowds before. Seeing people camp right on the shore really shows it's a knowledge problem.

emmawood2mo ago

Ugh, that's so frustrating to hear. I read a blog post from a park ranger who said the best thing you can do is model the behavior and then explain the 'why' if someone asks. Like, if you're setting up camp way back from the water, and someone nearby is too close, just casually mention you're trying to stay 200 feet back to protect the lake. It comes off less like a lecture.

joel_butler1mo ago

Totally get that. I saw a guy at a state park last year trying to explain fire rules to some new campers. He just walked over with his own coffee and was like "Hey, mind if I join you? Cool setup. I'm just double checking my spot's clear of overhanging branches, the ranger said they're real strict on that this season because of the dry spruce." They ended up asking him a bunch of questions and moved their own fire pit without him even having to tell them to. Worked way better than a handout.