Trail Hiking Australia was built to help people make informed, responsible decisions in the outdoors. That responsibility extends beyond personal safety. The information we share can influence where people go, how they behave and how much pressure a landscape receives.
Access carries impact, and information carries responsibility.
Wild places are not simply content to be collected, photographed and shared. They are living systems with limits, and not every landscape can absorb the same level of attention or use.
Why this page exists
Outdoor information is easier to find than ever. GPS files, detailed route descriptions, images and social media posts can help people prepare well and discover new places. They can also direct large numbers of visitors towards environments that were never designed to sustain heavy use.
Established tracks and designated walking routes are generally managed with regular visitation in mind. Fragile alpine vegetation, wetlands, soft sandstone, sensitive watercourses and untracked terrain may respond very differently. Damage can occur quickly and recovery may take years, if it occurs at all.
Responsible access begins with recognising those differences. It means understanding that the availability of information does not automatically justify amplifying every place, and that sometimes restraint is part of good stewardship.
How I approach sharing trail information
Trail Hiking Australia focuses primarily on established tracks, recognised routes and places where public access is supported by the relevant land manager. The aim is to provide information that improves preparation, judgement and self-reliance, rather than encouraging impulsive visitation.
Where possible, trail information includes context about terrain, weather, navigation, effort, seasonal conditions and risk. A route is more than a line on a map, and a destination is more than a photograph. People need enough information to decide whether a walk is appropriate for their capability and whether the landscape can support their visit.
I do not promote fragile “secret” locations for social media appeal, nor do I frame natural places as hidden prizes waiting to be discovered. Wild landscapes are not trophies, and increased exposure is not always a positive outcome.
Where a location is sensitive, I may limit detail, avoid precise coordinates or direct people towards established alternatives. This is not about claiming ownership over a place or keeping nature for a select group. It is about avoiding unnecessary pressure where the risks of damage are greater than the public benefit of wider promotion.
I support broad public access to well-managed trails across a diverse outdoor network. That does not mean every landscape must be promoted, simplified or made accessible in the same way. Some places are resilient and suited to regular visitation; others require greater care, lower use or, at times, less exposure.
My broader position on public land protection and trail development is outlined on the Position on Trail Access and Development page.
Stewardship is part of outdoor safety
Environmental care and personal safety are closely connected. Damaged landscapes can become harder to travel through, more difficult to navigate and more likely to generate unsafe informal routes.
Overuse can lead to:
- Erosion and unstable surfaces
- Track widening and the creation of multiple informal paths
- Damage to vegetation and waterways
- Confusing navigation where unofficial routes develop
- Higher pressure on emergency services and land managers
The Hiking Safety Systems recognise that good judgement includes awareness of the environment through which you are travelling. Staying on established tracks, respecting closures, choosing an appropriate group size and avoiding fragile terrain are all part of safe and responsible outdoor practice.
Leave No Trace principles are not an optional addition to hiking. They are part of the basic responsibility that comes with entering natural places.
People considering a guided experience should also look beyond convenience and marketing. A reputable operator should demonstrate sound safety systems, low-impact practices, respect for land manager requirements and a genuine commitment to protecting the places in which they operate. More guidance is available in What to look for in a reputable tour operator.
What I ask of the hiking community
If you use Trail Hiking Australia to plan a walk, I ask that you treat the information as a starting point for responsible decision-making, not as an invitation to visit without further thought.
- Stay on established tracks unless you have the necessary skills, permissions and environmental awareness
- Respect closures, seasonal restrictions and land manager guidance
- Choose group sizes that are appropriate to the terrain and campsite capacity
- Avoid trampling vegetation, widening tracks or creating shortcuts
- Carry out all waste and minimise your impact on water sources
- Prepare to travel self-reliantly and make decisions appropriate to current conditions
- Think carefully before publishing precise locations of fragile or sensitive sites
If you encounter track damage, pollution, unsafe infrastructure or environmental degradation, report it to the relevant land manager where possible. Responsible access includes helping those who manage the land understand what is happening on the ground.
When sharing images online, consider whether the location can cope with increased exposure and whether coordinates genuinely add value. More information is available in Think before you geotag your hikes.
The responsibility that comes with sharing
The growing popularity of hiking is not, in itself, the problem. Spending time in nature can improve wellbeing, build capability and create a deeper appreciation of the places people visit.
The problem arises when information is stripped of context, fragile places are promoted for novelty, or popularity is treated as an unquestioned measure of success. Social media can direct intense attention towards a location within days, while the landscape may take decades to recover from the resulting damage.
Trail Hiking Australia will continue to help people find walks and prepare for the outdoors. It will also continue to exercise judgement about what is shared, how it is presented and whether promoting a place is consistent with responsible stewardship.
Access matters, but access also carries obligations. The aim is not simply to help more people reach natural places. It is to help people experience them in ways that leave those places capable of being experienced by others in the future.
Wild places do not recover at the speed of social media.
