this post was submitted on 10 Jun 2025
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Desire Paths

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Desire paths Desire paths can be paths created as a consequence of erosion caused by human or animal foot-fall or traffic. The paths usually represent the shortest or most easily navigated routes between origins and destinations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desire_path

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[โ€“] [email protected] 12 points 1 month ago (4 children)

Low spot on the trail. When it rains, mud pit.

[โ€“] [email protected] 1 points 4 weeks ago

Found the hiker.

[โ€“] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Oh, that's a good notion. My thought had been that it's a place where people often stop so it formed a bypass of sorts.

[โ€“] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Hmmm maybe, but the left is on a slope. The real path is lower, why wouldn't the rain pool there?

Here's a baseless guess: someone dumped something big on the trail there for awhile and a path formed from the detour and never went away

[โ€“] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The real path is the one that floods. When it's wet, people use the desire path to avoid the puddle.

[โ€“] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Ohhh!! Duh, I totally misinterpreted that haha. I am fully on board with your theory now

[โ€“] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Good point actually, that makes a lot of sense.

[โ€“] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Or there was a barrier of sort there before, but now there isnt anymore.