Online Apps Making It Easier To Post Illegal Trails In Bay Area Parks
The Marin Municipal Water District owns 18,600 acres on Mount Tamalpais, and Watershed Resources Manager Mike Swezy estimates that 70 miles of trails on that land are illegal.
"It's a significant problem. It's being loved to death. People love to come up here, and they want their own private wilderness, so they strike out on their own trails to get that. So, it's kind of a modern problem," Swezy said.
Adding to the modern problem says Swezy are apps like Strava, CaliParks.org, and Google Maps, that allow users to post trail information, whether it's a legitimate route or not.
"We see that the published maps on the internet are showing routes that are unauthorized or undesirable for the public to travel on," Swezy said.
The water district works to get the information off the Internet by contacting the posters, and asking them to remove it.
Continued use of illegal trails can cause erosion, and damage to wildlife habitats. It can also cause safety issues for hikers who may get lost in non-patrolled areas.