Submitted by lebogang.selem… on

Hiking Etiquette: The Unwritten Rules Every Hiker Needs to Know

June 2026

Let me paint you a picture.

You're hauling yourself up a steep incline, lungs burning, quads screaming, inner monologue consisting entirely of "why do I do this to myself." You're in a rhythm. You're surviving. And then, out of nowhere, someone barrels downhill straight into your path, forces you to stop dead, doesn't say a word, and carries on like they didn't just destroy your entire momentum.

I've been on enough trails to know: chaotic energy on a narrow path is genuinely one of life's great frustrations.

So let's talk trail manners. Because yes, there are rules. Unwritten ones, which is exactly why people keep breaking them.

Rule 01

Leave No Trace. And I Mean It.

The rule is simple: take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints. If you carried it in, you carry it out. This applies to everything. All of it.

No litter. Not the wrapper, not the zip tie, not the bottle cap. No tissues. Especially not tissues.

Hike Test 1