If we’re honest, one of the biggest reasons we’re seeing closures is because of people. Hordes of people descending on places like Alabama Hills in California and trashing them with no regard for the rights of others, or their long-term impacts. Some of our best places are being loved to death, and we need to do a better job as human beings to respect the resource and each other.
And while it’s easy to lay all the blame at the feet of agencies like State Parks, BLM, NPS, etc it’s not all about them, there’s millions of us using the land and we need to do our part. That’s a fact, and it’s a part of the bigger picture here that cannot be ignored moving forward.
As an American, we can all agree that access to our public lands is a basic right. Sadly, many do not realize that those rights come with responsibilities. We have a responsibility to Tread Lightly and Leave No Trace. We have a responsibility to stay on the trail and respect the resource. We have a responsibility to protect our shared natural resources and leave them intact for future generations.
What is the Answer? It's as simple as being a good and decent human being. Do the right thing even when no one else is there. If we don't do our part, it's highly likely that we'll see more Locked Gates Ahead and more Closures.
So be a good steward of the land, pack out what you pack in, and remember the TREAD principles:
Travel Responsibly on land by staying on designated roads, trails and area. Go over, not around, obstacles to avoid widening the trails. Cross streams only at designated fords. when possible, avoid wet, muddy trails. On water, stay on designated waterways and launch your watercraft in designated areas.
Respect the Rights of Others including private property owners, all recreational trail users, campers and others so they can enjoy their recreational activities undisturbed. Leave gates as you found them. Yield right of way to those passing you or going uphill. On water, respect anglers, swimmers, skiers, boaters, divers and those on or near shore.
Educate Yourself prior to your trip by obtaining travel maps and regulations from public agencies. Plan for your trip, take recreation skills classes and know how to operate your equipment safely.
Avoid Sensitive Areas on land such as meadows, lake shores, wetlands and streams. Stay on designated routes. This protects wildlife habitats and sensitive soils from damage. Don’t disturb historical, archaeological or pale-ontological sites. On water, avoid operating your watercraft in shallow waters or near shorelines at high speeds.
Do Your Part by modeling appropriate behavior, leaving the area better than you found it, properly disposing of waste, minimizing the use of fire, avoiding the spread of invasive species and repairing degraded areas.
Now let's share some examples of incidents that lead to Closure.
We'll start with Exhibit A here. A crappy cell phone pic.
People who go off trail and pose "for the 'Gram" should realize how bad this looks, and how it encourages others to emulate shots like this. Adventurists don't drive their vehicles off the trail and into a pristine lake for a photo op. It's just not a thing in this community.
)throw the rock crawlers into the mix and a dose of desert racing and there is a fine mess of special interests to work through rather than a consolidated group.
