8 Ways to Escape crowds when camping or hiking this summer
It’s no secret that outdoor recreation has become massively popular. In 2020 over 160 million Americans participated in outdoor activities, up from less than 140 million in 2010 (source). Big picture: this explosion of interest in nature is a good thing since everyone should enjoy our public lands. At the same time it does come with some growing pains.
Ew, just ew….
If you have been camping or hiking in the last couple years you have almost certainly experienced the increase in crowds first hand. Reservable campsites book up almost immediately months in advance. Dispersed camping areas that were infrequently occupied just a few years ago are now overrun with massive trailers, overlanders and tent campers in the high season. Parking lots at trailheads within two hours of a major population center overflow on any given weekend creating a chaotic (and often destructive) park anywhere scenario. Oh and the poop! Actually that’s a topic for another time…
Zion National Park recently required permits for The Narrows due to overcrowding
These ever growing crowds have placed enormous pressure on sensitive natural areas and under-funded public lands infrastructure. More and more land management agencies are instituting new restrictive permitting systems or closing areas entirely to reduce the human impact on the environment. These permit systems have been extremely divisive among outdoor enthusiasts, with some seeing them as a necessary evil and others bemoaning the end of spontaneity in their adventure planning.
Regardless of how we feel about permits there is one inconvenient truth that all of us must face: when you hike on overcrowded trails or stay in popular campsites you are a part of the problem. It doesn’t matter if you are a local, it doesn’t matter if you have been recreating in the area long before it became popular, your very presence contributes to the overcrowding. Fortunately there are things that you can do to help alleviate the problem and create a better experience for yourself (and others) on less crowded trails. Here are our three tips for escaping the masses in the great outdoors this summer.
Explore popular areas at off times or in the off season
#1 Avoid Weekdays — Crowded outdoor attractions are usually popular for a reason and totally worth visiting, just not when everyone else is there. The vast majority of people go hiking or camping on weekends in-between late May and early September, so those are the best time frames to avoid well known trailheads and campgrounds. If you can plan the biggest bucket list hikes on weekdays you will enjoy a much more pleasant experience.
Snow camping takes the shoulder season approach to the next level
#2 Shoulder Season — Better yet, look at going during shoulder season. Depending on what part of the world you are in, conditions can be quite nice in April/May and September/October. These off months avoid the summer vacation crowds entirely, giving you a better shot at landing prime camping spots and enjoying a much more relaxed outdoor experience.
#3 Sunrise or Sunset — If you can’t take weekdays off, or shoulder season is just a little too cold for you, the last option is to go very early or very late in the day. A quality headlamp and a willingness to adjust your sleep schedule can help you to find solitude on the trail even during the height of the summer season. The other major benefit to this strategy is getting to experience nature during the best possible lighting at sunset or sunrise. Just make sure that you are prepared with the 10 essentials and provide a detailed itinerary to a friend ahead of time since hiking in the dark comes with an increased level or risk.
Pick longer trails and more remote Destinations
#4 Drive Farther — This is perhaps our favorite method of avoiding crowds during the height of summer. People are inherently short on time (or in some cases just lazy) and will gravitate towards the trailheads and campsites that are easiest to get to. The beautiful places within a short distance of a population center or adventure hub like Moab, UT or Bend, OR tend to be the most overrun. In many cases driving just one hour further away from the popular spots will significantly reduce the crowds. Bonus points if the route involves a rough unpaved road.
Yes, that is a potted plant… Finding campsites down rough roads is the only surefire way to avoid mega RVs
#5 Hike Harder — Sometimes you don’t even have to drive farther to find solitude. Picking longer, more arduous hikes is another great way to get away from the crowds. We’ve found that most casual adventurers won't go too far beyond five miles, or 3,000 ft of elevation gain. Obviously more conditioning is required, but if you can tough it out to go beyond these metrics you are much more likely to have the trail to yourself.
Just as adventuring at sunrise or sunset requires additional precautions, so does exploring in more remote areas. If you are new to outdoor recreation consider baby stepping your way into these rugged trips or bring along a more experienced friend.
Find the diamonds in the rough
#6 Pick Lesser Known Destinations — We enjoy epic views of mountains, lakes and waterfalls… but so do a lot of other people. Trails with the best photo ops will almost always be the most crowded for good reason. In recent years Instagram location tags and top 10 articles have compounded this phenomenon, spoon feeding visitors with intel on the most scenic locations within any given region. Fortunately for us America’s public lands are vast and no matter where you go there will almost always be trails that the crowds overlook. You just have to know how to find them.
We had this beauty all to ourselves
#7 Buy a Guide Book — This is where regional guidebooks are indispensable and totally worth paying for. We have discovered so many breathtaking and sparsely populated hikes this way. A good guide book also offers trail details and knowledge on local history or plants that you will never find on social media.
#8 Research Online — If you are visiting an area and won’t be around long enough to make a guidebook worth it, websites like Alltrails can also be a great resource. Search for “hikes in my area” but skip the first 3-5 results since those are all likely to be very popular.
Conclusion
You don’t have to put up with crowded trails this summer. Using any one of these tips, or a combination of the three will help you to find more solitude, and relieve pressure on our most trodden natural areas. We will be diving deeper into this topic in future blog posts and videos, so stay tuned!