{"id":173361,"date":"2021-11-24T16:56:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-25T00:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=173361"},"modified":"2022-02-10T11:46:17","modified_gmt":"2022-02-10T19:46:17","slug":"finding-common-ground-on-the-trails","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/cycle\/finding-common-ground-on-the-trails","title":{"rendered":"Finding Common Ground on the Trails"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The verdict is in: Trails are seeing more traffic, and it’s expected to stay that way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, outdoor recreation has boomed. About 7.1 million more Americans participated in some form of outdoor recreation in 2020 than the previous year, according to a report commissioned by the Outdoor Foundation<\/a>. Most of those new or returning participants said they planned to stick with their outdoor activities in 2021 and beyond. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Time spent in nature is a proven boost to both mental and physical health<\/a>, and outdoor advocates say more users are embracing those benefits on the trails. But busier trails also can have drawbacks. Trail organizations have noticed more conflicts among trail users, as well as more damage to sensitive landscapes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With these impacts in mind, a coalition of outdoor advocacy groups came together this year to kick off Trails Are Common Ground<\/a>, a national campaign to make trails friendlier and more inclusive. The idea was sparked by the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA), but conversations quickly expanded from there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThe question to ask is, \u2018Who am I going to encounter, and what am I going to do when I encounter them? What we want to instill on trails is to start with kindness…\u201d<\/p>-David Wiens, executive director of the International Mountain Bicycling Association<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

“When we first started, we were specifically looking at just singletrack trails,\u201d said David Wiens, IMBA\u2019s executive director. “We were seeing our organization building trails around the country and then seeing dog walkers heading up a jump trail. We realized there was a need for more trail access for everyone, and the goal became to make everyone\u2019s experience better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than 20 organizations had a seat at the table when the campaign launched over the summer. The groups represented hikers, runners, mountain bikers, hunters, anglers, adaptive users, equestrians and motorized users. Advocacy groups like Latino Outdoors and NavajoYES also participated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Underrepresented trail users<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfredo Gonzalez Velez, a Latino Outdoors volunteer who serves as an outings leader in the Bay Area, took on a role in the campaign as an advocate for underrepresented trail users. \u201cOur members don\u2019t always have access to a lot of open space,\u201d said Gonzalez Velez. \u201cA lot of our recreation comes from urban trails.\u201d For instance, places that you might access from public transportation, he said. Perspectives like this helped broaden the campaign\u2019s scope, to focus not simply on remote singletrack but trails of all kinds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A main feature of the campaign is to educate new and seasoned users about trail etiquette, no matter how they travel across the land. These guidelines aren\u2019t new; many groups have promoted them for years. Instead, it\u2019s a way to highlight them and help demystify concepts that can be foreign for newcomers\u2014such as who has the right of way on a trail, when to announce your presence and how to pass slower users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe question to ask is, \u2018Who am I going to encounter, and what am I going to do when I encounter them?\u2019\u201d said Wiens. \u201cWhat we want to instill on trails is to start with kindness, then move to awareness, and the third piece is knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tips are a starting point<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The campaign doesn\u2019t cover all situations. These tips are just starting point, said Wiens. In many cases, a trail system may have local regulations (often posted at trailheads or trail junctions) that may be more specific than the guidelines from Trails are Common Ground. Such regulations might specify which trails are only for mountain bikers traveling downhill or are equestrian trails or trails that are open to different users at certain times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, many organizations involved in the campaign have more detailed trail etiquette guidelines specific to the activity they support. And as winter sets in, it\u2019s worth noting that trail etiquette plays a role in winter sports like cross-country skiing, fat-biking and snowshoeing, too.<\/a> And before you head out, consider these guidelines on how to recreate responsibly<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some of the main takeaways from the Trails Are Common Ground etiquette guidelines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hiking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n