I’m sure if you’ve done your fair share of doomscrolling lately, there’s a high chance you’ve seen at least one reel of someone doing something insane in the outdoors. Or maybe the girls telling you the 10 essentials you need before you start hiking. My personal favorite is the guy who climbed the Grand Teton in a suit. Regardless, the odds of everyone having seen some kind of “outdoor influencer” is high. I’ve gotta be honest though, I’m not a fan.Â
My experience
I grew up an outdoorsy kid. My family made sure that I could hike, ski and climb all before the age of five. There are countless photos of a younger me standing in a canyon only accessible by technical means. Since then, I raced and coached mountain bikes for the better part of my high school career. I’ve worked in the outdoors industry since I was 16, and I have the certifications to prove it. The outdoors aren’t just a tourist attraction to me, they’re a part of my soul. I don’t want to ever live without it. After growing up in the outdoors, I’ve watched it change, and within the past couple years, I’m afraid of where it’s going.Â
The Problem
Look, I love the national parks (probably more than your average person). Zion National Park is basically a second home to me and has been my entire life. In recent years, I’ve watched it practically become as popular and busy as Disneyland. In the past, timed entry permits didn’t even exist for crying out loud. The sheer amount of people that are flocking to national parks as vacation spots has increased since I was a kid. And I hear you behind the screen going, “isn’t this good? People get to experience the outdoors too.” And yes, I think it’s wonderful that people want to see the outdoors. But it goes much deeper than that.Â
LEAVE. NO. TRACE
The big problem in overtourism and outdoor influencers is the lack of education with the core principles of the outdoors. The most popular example you might think of is Smoky The Bear: “Only you can prevent wildfires.” This is a part of a big concept called Leave No Trace (LNT). You may have heard the saying, “take only photos, leave only footprints.” Our relationship with nature is delicate. I see a gross amount of people leaving things in nature that weren’t there before they got there. The lack of respect for national landmarks is, quite frankly, tragic. If we as people want to exist in nature, we have to respect it. Pack out what you pack in, pick up your trash and stay on trail. It’s not that hard, and it makes it so that others can continue to enjoy the outdoors without it being trashed.Â
Influencers, more like inexperienced
This summer, I had a goal to hike Mt. Timpanogos. It’s one of Utah’s most iconic peaks standing at 11,752 feet above sea level, 15 miles long and has 5,000 feet of elevation gain. I planned my hike, brought extra water and snacks and went prepared. At the end of the hike, I encountered these two girls wearing jeans and converse with no pack in sight. They said they didn’t bring any more water than just a plastic bottle and had no food. They took shortcuts, didn’t stay on trail and disrespected the environment. Said they were visiting and saw Mt. Timpanogos on Tiktok and thought it’d be an easy hike. I was kind enough to give them a ride to civilization so they could get an uber because, believe it or not, there is zero cell service in the woods, but I felt weird about helping people who were so disrespectful.
Influencers and social media geotagging locations are not only how nature gets trashed and ruined; it’s also how people get killed. They go out with little to no knowledge or preparation and end up in situations they can’t handle. Along with misguided hikers, come the people who show up for the photos, using the logic of “nobody else is doing it.” They go off trail, trampling and damaging fragile ecosystems, all for an Instagram photo or reel. If they do it, everybody else does too. Not only are influencers leading to people mistreating nature, it’s also leading to inexperienced people doing more than they can handle. Which makes the outdoors dangerous for everyone, regardless of experience.
Leave it better than you found it
Look, I believe everyone should see the great outdoors, but not without proper training and education. I am not saying you need to spend hundreds of dollars on classes if you are just a casual enjoyer, but it’s pretty easy to learn to treat the outdoors with respect. Next time you are at a national park, ask a ranger about Leave No Trace or the history of the park. They’d be happy to continue educating as many people as possible. If you’re on a walk, pick up a piece of trash and leave a positive impact on the space you take up. I love posting photos of the mountains and my adventures as much as anyone else, but I also know to treat the places I visit with respect and leave it better than I found it.Â