How To Pass People On Trail

Navigating multi-use trail etiquette can get awkward sometimes

The beauty of the outdoors is that it’s for all of us. One specific trail is not mine, one specific climbing route is not yours; we all get to share these spaces and experience them individually. Because of this, when engaging in an outdoor activity that especially takes place on a trail, you will likely encounter trail users of various types enjoying the outdoors in different ways. Depending on the trail, you may come across hikers, backpackers, trail runners, mountain bikers, horseback riders, or people with pack animals all in a single outing. Which is really awesome and cool when you think about it! The fact that multi-use trails exist is amazing as we all get to do what we love outside and hardly anyone is excluded.

However, in these types of situations, trail etiquette can truly be a lifesaver as we can enjoy the trails at the same time while adhering to a specific set of guidelines for both safety and courtesy reasons. If you regularly keep up with this newsletter, you know that I am a college student at the moment trudging toward my undergraduate degree, sometimes reluctantly (the end is in sight, I graduate in December of this year).

For one of my classes, we had to develop our own project for the purpose of learning how to properly research and utilize the college library’s resources. The goal was to come up with an awkward situation and learn more about how to handle it through researching both empirical data and anecdotal sources. Being a hiker/backpacker/trail runner/frequent trail user, I decided to stick to what I know and learn more about trail etiquette, specifically right-of-way, yielding, and passing scenarios.

After gathering all the data required for the assignment and putting everything together, I ended up creating an infographic depicting how to appropriately pass others going slower than you from behind on trail. I figured I’d share it on this platform and also dive into other things I learned about trail etiquette. So, let’s put our nerd helmets on for a moment and get into it!

My lovely Infographic

This infographic is a compilation of the data and information I collected on trail-specific research and pedestrian research, both of which provided insights into how to appropriately handle passing someone from behind in narrow spaces. I also was able to consult prominent outdoor agencies like the National Park Service and also more informal sources like Reddit to get the most well-rounded information on passing others on trail.

Ultimately, I wanted to answer the question “How can you pass someone who is unable to hear you coming or who is easily spooked without them having a startle-response?” If you trail run or mountain bike often, you know the pain of attempting to pass a walker or hiker, and having them jump ten feet in the air at the sound of you coming. It’s really awkward sometimes! I always feel bad about scaring them and wanted to see if there was some sort of solution.

Sadly, there isn’t one. As far as I know, from the sources I found, there isn’t a way to prevent someone from getting startled. This mostly happens because people either are physically unable to hear you coming (they are deaf or they are listening to music) or they are so in the hiking zone that they just aren’t super aware of their surroundings. As the person passing, it is best to be as considerate as possible and go into the interaction knowing that it will get awkward.

My advice, from someone who has social anxiety, is a chronic people pleaser, and who primarily lives trying not to bother others as much as possible, swallow the feelings of inconveniencing someone for a few seconds and then do it. Pass them. You are both out there to enjoy time outside and worrying over this encounter is just small potatoes in the grand scheme of things. Research suggests that people are way more concerned about themselves than others, and if they are concerned with you, it’s mostly because they see themselves in you.

Trail ride with my horsey friends

Key Takeaways

• When approaching someone from behind on a trail, expect that they might get spooked. Mentally prepare for the interaction and then pass with care and consideration. If appropriate, laugh off the situation or apologize and move on.

• When encountering mountain bikers, technically they are supposed to yield to hikers/runners. However, this rarely happens. If the biker is coming from behind, they should slow down, announce their presence, and then wait until the hiker steps aside before passing. It’s also polite for the biker to say how many bikers are behind them, so the hiker/runner knows when it’s safe to step back on the trail.

• For horse encounters, no matter who is on the trail, yielding to them and providing a lot of space is very important to prevent this 1,000-pound animal from spooking.

• For dog scenarios, it’s common courtesy for hikers with dogs to utilize a leash when they pass others on trail. Follow the area’s leash laws and if hiking off-leash, make sure that the dog is trained in recall commands.

Rapid Fire Trail/Life Update

As with most of my trail plans, any hope of doing any backpacking this spring semester just crashed and burned. My hope is to do the Buffalo River Trail at some point during the summer and to also knock off some Ozark Trail sections. I am tentatively planning on moving out of Missouri next year after I graduate college, so I really want to try and complete the OT especially if I can.

Study abroad in Madrid is a go! I will be there for a full month after this semester ends and I am incredibly excited for this opportunity. While backpacking internationally is not in the cards, my plan is to explore Sierra de Guadarrama National Park just an hour outside of the city. Definitely expect a post about this experience in the summer.

The Berryman Trail Marathon is sadly a no-go. I stopped trail running training about a month ago for a few reasons, but mainly because my stamina is just not where I want it to be. After reading a lot about post-Covid endurance issues in runners (I had Covid in fall 2023), the problems I’ve been experiencing while running made more sense. I may write a post detailing this specific issues later, but for now, I am sticking with just hiking.

Last but not least, Blood Sweat Tears comes out May 1st! What are you waiting for?! Get your pre-order NOW!

See you all out on the trail!