Poor Trail Behavior???

[lonerock]

Fortunately my property borders several million acres of national forest so finding nice places to hike without anyone around is easy - just a walk out my front door. Traveling to somewhere else requires more planning effort.

Sometimes a wilderness designation can change a place.. When I  was living in the Sierras one of my favorite places to backpack was in an area  near Lake Tahoe.. There were very few people there and some nice lakes. Eventually it was designated as a wilderness area and after that the crowds came as word spread and it was never the same again.

It does pay to do some advance research and locate areas where you can find some nice lakes  or other spots that are away from trails or simply less popular areas near the main hubs as noted by ppine. These spots are often just as nice as the more popular areas.

I must acknowledge that most backpackers I  run in to are okay. The places to avoid are those that have easy access. Many people who visit those areas usually bring loads of crap and leave a lot of it behind plus they have very little respect for others.