General Trail Etiquette

[DiscGo]

If you are on a trail (hiking, mountain biking, etc.) and two people are going to go over the same area and one person is below and the other is above, who is supposed to wait for whom?


My brother and I went camping this weekend and we had different ideas for trail etiquette of hiking and who should pull aside for whom. A source on this matter would be awesome, but I would really to like hear what you guys think.

[DiscGo]

Most everything I see says uphill hikers have the right of way:

"Hikers going uphill are working hard and should be given the right of way over hikers coming downhill. Sometimes uphill hikers will prefer to stop and let you pass coming down so they can get a short break. The uphill hiker should get to make the call."
http://www.hikingdude.com/hiking-etiquette.shtml


But this was my favorite quote:

"As far as the uphill-downhill thing is concerned, when I'm hiking uphill, I usually don't mind pausing to take an extra gulp of air to let someone going downhill get past. But if you're scampering downhill, and you see someone laboring uphill trying to maintain a rhythm, why not cut them some slack and step off the trail?

The bottom line is, if you think you're steeping off the trail too often, try a different (less crowded) trail"

---Backpacker Magazine

[Mooseman70]

I voted "downhill", 'cause if you don't get outta my way when I'm truckin' downhill, your bound to get bowled over by a runaway Moose!

[Scott P]

Like the above points out, it seems that the uphill hiker should yeild since he/she proably needs a rest anyway.

[theking648]

i know you yield to people going up... but bikers yield to hikers and horseback riders...

1 question. i'm a mountain biker going uphill and there are hikers going down. Do I yeild to them?

i stop and let them pass anyways but it breaks my uphill momentum

[Deathcricket]

I think it also depends a bit on the situation. Sometimes one set of hikers has abetter place to stop, perhaps not as exposed, so they should yield. Maybe the downhill group is 10 people and the uphill is 2, so the uphill should yield.

I generally just make eye contact and smile. Then decide on the spot. I've also ran into very few places where I can't just take the outside of the trail as a courtesy and not stop at all. Maybe like the top of angels landing is probably the only place I've run into this.

I've not really considered the uphill/downhill citeria though. Interesting thought. I do know in mtn biking the uphill yields to the downhill since it's way easier for them to stop. And also have heard that hikers yield to bikes and everyone yields to horses right? Hikers to hikers though? good question man.

Edit: theking beat me to post. lol. I thought hikers yielded to bikers? Research time :)

WHoa I stand corrected:
http://www.hikingdude.com/hiking-etiquette.shtml

There's a saying: You'll never win a fight with an automobile. The same general rule applies to any situation in which you find yourself - the bigger object wins. On trails, a hiker is about the smallest, slowest object so it is in your best interest to yield to any other mode of transportation you encounter.

hiking trail A commonly used trail sharing sign is shown here.
The rules are:

* Bikers yield to hikers and horses
* Hikers yield to Horses

The concept is that bikers are fast and can stop and go easily so they let everything else have the right of way. Horses are big and unpredictable so they get the right of way.

I disagree with the logic that a bike can stop faster than a hiker.. but whatever :)

[theking648]

[Mooseman70]

That's all fine and dandy, but what direction is each going? Uphill or downhill?

[DiscGo]

Thanks for all the great posts. It seems like the right call probably is deciding in the situation but now it seems like downhill should yield to uphill hiking. Bikers should yield to hikers, and everyone should yield to horses.

[DiscGo]

That's all fine and dandy, but what direction is each going? Uphill or downhill?

[theking648]

and thats my question... if i'm biking up hill and there is i hiker coming down hill... who yields?

the hikers should stop for uphill traffic but the biker should stop for all hikers and horses.


THATS IT EVERYONE SHOULD STOP AND GO NOWHERE

[R]

I voted for option 3, "to be settled by a fist fight."

[trackrunner]

I say uphill has the right of way. When mountain biking I yeild for the uphill trafic, because sometimes biking uphill if you stop, your walking the rest of the way. Downhill bikers can stop an restart easier than uphill traffic can.

Genearly the same logic applies to hiking, but I don't think it matters so much for hiking. Probably the best is who can move easier into a spot for the other person to pass.

I also follow the yeild sign posted.

[DiscGo]

If I am hiking down and a biker is coming up, I AM YIELDING. You can start hiking mid hill but once you stop your bike, you are screwed.

[theking648]

If I am hiking down and a biker is coming up, I AM YIELDING. You can start hiking mid hill but once you stop your bike, you are screwed.

hey if you aint working hard your not working!


me and my friends have to do at least 2 hard trails before we get our reward.. which will be bearclaw poppy trail i still need to find out what trail we are doing next saturday.. (saturdays now that school has started for my friends.)

[sparker1]

With motorized vehicles, the uphill guy has right of way (not sure of logic). In practice, most people on narrow trails don't know the rule and some people always stop. Others stop if they are near a space large enough. Common sense seems to prevail.

[DiscGo]

I think motorized vehicles have to come down to who has the pull out.

[scoutabout]

The rule of thumb is uphill has the ROW for foot or motorized travel. Motorized traffic always yields to non-motorized travel regardless of travel direction.

When I'm hiking uphill, I usually let the downhill guy have the ROW, because I'm happy to take a break and pretend like I'm taking a picture while I catch my breath. :)

And Discgo is right, in motorized travel, the user with the best opportunity to pullout usually does. It also depends on capability. If I come across a less capable vehicle (up or downhill), I usually find a way to give them the room to pass.

[JP]

You and your brother should stop going camping, too many questions

[Sombeech]

The official answer is "Uphill has the right of way".

If the climber going uphill would like a break, that is his choice when and where to do it, but he shouldn't be persuaded to pull off when somebody is coming downhill.

That uphiller may have just taken a break 2 minutes ago, or maybe there's a pullout up ahead that he was planning on breaking at. Just remember you're not always being courteous when you think the climber "deserves a break". Trust me, they know when they want to take a break, they usually have it planned out.

Now on the other hand, there are certain bike trails where it's just public knowledge AND courtesy to not climb up. You know that bikers love to bomb down it, and you don't want to be the one jerk in that month that tried to climb it. Bobsled is a perfect example.

And yes, bikers yield to everybody. So a climbing biker must at least notion pulling off to the downhill hiker, but usually the hikers recognize that you are working hard and are nice enough to let you pass.