The New Rules of The Trail
Updated Language on May 25, 2020
Hiking is an excellent way to exercise and fend off the feelings of cabin fever and feelings of isolation. Everybody should do it. And it seems like everyone is, at least, where I hike. Even when I go out early, there are groups of people there. It’s no mystery why. The trails are easily the best in the region. Like many others, I discovered them during the pandemic. What was likely a secret of some is now a grand central station, and most of the visitors are not following the guidelines of social distancing. Just because you are outside, and the risk is lower, it doesn’t make you entirely immune to COVID-19.
To help hikers practice better social distancing, I made the following tools to help communicate the new rules of the trail. They’re available for download, and you may distribute them via print or social media. The content is adapted from an Outside Magazine article by Marc Peruzzi from April 23, 2020. I encourage you to read the article for even more helpful information about how to hit the trails. There are additional useful sources at the bottom of this page.
You may be wondering why this is important. If loads of people swarm the trails haphazardly, rangers and trail stewards will be forced to make hard decisions that impact us all. Let’s be good citizens, so they don’t have to do that.
Additionally, there is a spectrum of thoughts and emotions regarding social distancing practices. Some folks are more cautious/confident than others. Even if, like meeting a bear, it’s unlikely you will get or pass COVID-19 in the woods, it’s not a complete impossibility. To make hiking more peaceful for everyone, please follow these simple guidelines.
Help me spread the word! Click the button below to download the brochure and posters. Print them out at home and hang them up where you hike! Don’t have a printer? No problem. There’s social graphics too.
P.S. I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to Ben Johnson for help with the campaign language. He challenged my initial iterations because they were far too harsh and not based on credible research. I'm reminded of how important it is to get another perspective on a project.
Posters
Brochure
Social Media
