I was recently contacted by Dustin over at Slick and Twisted Trails and asked if I would share an infographic he made with you. If you were following me last year and read up on my North Coast Trail attempt, you know I blame credit him for how I ended up on the NCT in the first place. His great eBook, 23 Amazing Treks That Won’t Stay Hidden Long, is how I learned about the trail when our West Coast Trail plans fell through. I loved the idea of doing a hike less traveled!
Guest Post
This past year, U.S. national parks made headlines for being jammed with visitors.
The numbers are staggering: an additional 55 million people visited an American national park in 2017 compared to 2007 (see the infographic below for more details).
That 21% increase is a huge jump. And such a big surge in visitors puts pressure on park infrastructure, increases the chances of human-wildlife conflicts and causes stress to the environment.
But it’s not just U.S. parks feeling the impacts of bigger crowds. Canada has seen a whopping 27% increase in visitors over the past 10 years.
I’m hopeful that this surge in outdoor interest will encourage more intrepid hikers to seek out the trails less traveled.
Instead of jamming onto a popular trekking route, find a hidden hiking trail near you. Or rather than lining up to catch a view that’s been photographed a million times, venture into a lesser-known national park.
And often, lesser-known areas are just as amazing as the more popular ones. For example, here are 3 awesome alternatives to Canada’s most packed national parks.
Instead of Banff National Park, explore Kootenay National Park
Just a 40-minute drive from the Banff, Kootenay National Park is less developed but still provides plenty of amazing scenery. A great trek is the 4-5 day Rockwall Trail that’s packed with mountain views.
Instead of Jasper National Park, explore Willmore Wilderness Park
About a 90-minute drive from Jasper, the Willmore Wilderness Park offers a vast landscape of rivers, waterfalls and alpine meadows to explore. Plus there are plenty of opportunities to spot wolves, grizzlies, moose and big horned sheep.
Instead of Pacific Rim National Park, explore Cape Scott Provincial Park
Head farther north on Vancouver Island to this beautiful West Coast park. The coastal scenery here is raw and untamed with minimal crowds. The highlight of this area is backpacking on the stunning North Coast Trail.
Dustin runs the backpacking blog Slick & Twisted Trails, which helps hikers escape the beaten path. Based on Canada’s Vancouver Island, Dustin is always on the hunt for those rare, less-traveled routes through the wilderness.
What are some of the hikes you’ve done when hiking the hike less traveled?
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