How can we travel to hike, backpack, and camp more safely?

Most of the best hiking in Kentucky is at least an hour’s drive from the major metro areas. So, you're going to be road tripping - and that means getting in the car, gassing up, and more than likely, making pit stops for potty breaks, meals, and items you forgot to pack.

One Household per Vehicle. Before you arrive at the trailhead or campground, you need to get there first. Don’t carpool with anyone outside of your household. This keeps your close contacts at zero. If it’s your son’s girlfriend, fine. She’s already in your close contact network!

Sanitize Before and After Pumping Gas. Pay at the pump and be sure to sanitize your hands before and after. Sanitize before to avoid adding your germs to the gas pump and sanitize after to reduce exposure to others’ germs.

Bring Your Own TP, Wear a Mask, and Sanitize Before and After Using the Restroom. If you have to stop to use the bathroom, bring your own TP, wear a mask, and sanitize yourself before and after using the toilet or urinal. The mask can be dual purposed by reducing the amount of fecal odor you endure - especially in hot port-a-johns and pit toilets!

Travel Sunday Night through Friday Midday, Avoid Holiday Weeks. If you have the scheduling flexibility, plan your visit to popular hiking areas during the week when others are at work. We have been doing this for the last few years, and it’s been fantastic with lots of sunrises and sunsets all to ourselves. Avoiding peak travel times reduces your contact count on the way and while you’re there.

Packed Trailhead? NEXT HIKE! In your trip planning, don’t go expecting to have parking at the trailhead if you’re traveling over weekends or holiday weeks to busy hiking areas. Instead, have at least 2-3 back-up hikes in your pocket if the trailhead is full. Do NOT make your own parking. Over the Winter, Copperas Creek in RRG was full and someone parked in the clearly marked emergency vehicle spots…and was ticketed (I wonder if they towed it??). Remember, trails are busiest from about 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. during peak season.

On the trail and at camp, how can we minimize close contacts?

Just because you can’t slap a high five, hug it out, or pass the bottle of bourbon around, doesn’t mean you can’t have an amazing time with friends and family. The key here is making a few very minor adjustments.

Choose Less Traveled Trails. In the years I’ve been hiking, it’s very clear that more than 80% of hikers visit less than 20% of trails. This is the Pareto Principle at its finest. All you have to do is plan to hike the 80% of trails that are less traveled. As an example, Natural Bridge State Park’s trail system has heavy use on Original, Balanced Rock, and Laurel Ridge Trails. Meanwhile, you may not pass another soul on Sand Gap Trail or the Sheltowee Trace spur to White’s Branch Arch. [I’ll be adding a ‘Solitude’ page to denote these less traveled trails when time allows]

Choose Roomier Camping Areas. Some campsites are a heckuvalot roomier than others. I prefer ones with a lot of space, and ideally, no other campers in view. That’s why we camp in the forest and not at campgrounds. That said, the Spartan life isn’t for everyone. As a rule, most State Parks are more packed in than National Forest or National Park campgrounds. Private campgrounds vary widely, so ask questions before you book. Also, if you or someone you camp with isn’t experienced in backcountry camping, don’t start now. Stick to the frontcountry that has plenty of options for a spacious camp when you book early.

Set Expectations with Your Hiking/Camping Party. When you start planning your trip and invite others, explain that everyone needs to follow distancing guidelines. The toughest part is usually around the campfire. Bring an extra blanket and spread out. You might not be able to all be close to the fire, but you’ll still be together - just a little further apart.

Stand Aside Three Paces, Mask On. At some point, you’ll come across other trail users. Stand three paces to the side of the trail and put a mask on. On singletrack trails - especially near cliffs, it may not be possible to step far enough aside. For that reason, hiking with a mask, neck gaiter, or buff is ideal. Just put it on when needed.

How can we reduce user impacts on the lands we love?

One of the most frustrating things that has occurred during this pandemic is an influx of messy hikers. There has been more trash deposited alongside our local trails than I can ever recall seeing. While it’s great that more folks are getting outdoors, this kind of trail impact needs to end.

Leave No Trace. If you’ve been hiking a long time, you likely have your own set of trail ethics or code of conduct. If you’re newer to hiking, please, please, please visit the Leave No Trace Center and take the online awareness course. It’s the best starting point to becoming a better hiker and caretaker of our natural lands.

Leading and Teaching by Example. As you develop your personal trail ethics, be sure to share them by leading and teaching by example. Start with your household and consistently demonstrate strong hiking, backpacking, and camping practices so others can learn. No lectures are needed, just do the right thing consistently and others will follow.

Clean Up After Others. Be sure to bring an extra bag (and hand sanitizer) to pack out others’ trash. Perhaps the cleanest portion of Daniel Boone National Forest is in its busiest area, Red River Gorge. This isn’t for lack of messy hikers and campers. It’s because people care enough to pack out what others leave behind.

Skills Development. Improving your hiking, backpacking, and camping skills is the best path to reducing land impacts. With an augmented set of skills, you can travel more lightly on the land, navigate unmarked trails, visit natural areas inaccessible to others, and so much more. Read books, take online courses, learn through on-site weekend workshops, hike, backpack, and camp with backcountry veterans. You can always learn something new out there!

Love the Less Traveled. This is an interesting one because the more miles you hike, the more you come to appreciate less traveled trails. I love visiting arches, vistas, and waterfalls, but I’ve also found great joy on long walks in the woods without any of these. Instead, I’ve come to appreciate the simple swaying of the treetops, the box turtle crossing the trail, or the scarlet tanager whistling in the trees.

How can we help trail town businesses and their employees recover?

Make no mistake, we LOVE our trail town businesses and with multi-month travel restrictions and trail closures in some areas, these folks need help. Restaurants, coffee shops, bars, guiding services, cabin companies, campgrounds, and more are a big part of Kentucky’s outdoor experience, and I’d like to see them recover so they can be there for many years to come.

Full Week. Most folks hike for a weekend - hike for a full week instead. Mix it up and split your weekdays and weekends at separate hiking areas. Maybe it’s Red River Gorge during the week and Big South Fork or Pine Mountain over the weekend.

Weekdays. Visit during the week - even if it’s just a day hike and dinner. Weekdays are slow as molasses in most trail towns, so any extra business during the week will go straight to the bottom line.

Lunch, Not Dinner. Most trail town restaurants start filling up in the late afternoon and into the evening hours on weekends. Plan an early morning hike when the trails aren’t busy and hit lunch at the local restaurant when they’re unlikely to be packed.

Follow Guidelines While Visiting Businesses. It doesn’t matter where you fall on the mask/social distancing discussion, it will make others feel more comfortable and that matters a lot to business. Patrons are an involuntary extension of each business’ marketing right now. Consider this - there is a large, vocal percentage of people who are strongly in favor of wearing masks and following all guidelines. If someone in this group sees a business welcoming people who aren’t wearing masks in common areas, aren’t social distancing, or are congregating in large groups, odds are (1) that person won’t visit the business and (2) some form of negative social media post will likely discourage others from visiting with both cases leading to less revenue. Do all businesses a big favor and follow guidelines - you are part of their marketing team when you are there!

Spend Generously. If you can, spend generously. Order that appetizer you wanted to try, crush dessert, take an extra side of fries to go (these are AWESOME reheated with eggs at camp), tip your server or housekeeper a little extra. Leave a few bucks for your camp host. Drop a ten-spot for your barista. Whatever you can do to be generous will certainly be appreciated.

Extending the Season. Another great way to help businesses make up for lost time is to extend the season into November and through the Winter. December kicks off waterfall season in Kentucky, and it is one of my favorite times to explore off trail. In fact, I’ll be hosting a Winter Waterfall Weekend over the MLK holiday in January at BedRock RRG (more on this some other time).

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