Why does nobody talk about how the Appalachian Trail has gotten way busier since 2018?

I hiked the AT back in 2012 and it was quiet. Then I did a section in Virginia last June and it was packed, like waiting in line for shelters packed. The difference is crazy. I think the movie 'Wild' and social media blew it up after 2015. Trail registers had triple the entries I remember from before. Has anyone else noticed this on other long trails like the PCT or CDT?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_miles1mo ago

The same thing happened with national parks after that social media boom around 2016. Everyone wants their own scenic shot for the gram now. Half the people I passed on the trail last summer were filming themselves for TikTok instead of actually hiking. It just feels like everything good gets discovered and then ruined by too many people at once.

jasons631mo ago

@the_miles guilty, I was that guy filming raccoons fighting over a granola bar in 2019.