Hot take: That quiet canyon in Utah's backcountry is perfect, but word is getting out

I took a detour off the main highway last fall and found a narrow canyon with red rock walls. The path in was tricky, with loose gravel and a few washouts, but I had my truck so it was fine. At the end, there's a small waterfall that pools into a crystal clear pond, totally silent except for the water. I spent the whole afternoon there without seeing another soul, just listening to the wind in the cliffs. On my way back, I ran into a ranger who mentioned that social media posts are starting to point people this way. He worries that the fragile soil and plants could get damaged if too many come. Still, my day there was one of the best I've had in years, completely alone with nature. What spots have you visited that felt truly untouched like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

stellahart1d ago

Notice this happening everywhere, not just in nature. Take a small town library that was always empty, then gets called cozy online and fills with people taking photos. @miles_jones39 nailed it with the geo-tagging issue. Now even my favorite hiking trail has trash from newcomers. It's like no place stays secret once it's online. We trade peace for likes without thinking.

michaela952d ago

Last year I hiked into a remote basin in the Wind River Range, totally silent except for marmot whistles. The trail was so faint I lost it a couple times, but that's part of why it stayed empty. My rule now is if I post photos, I never tag the exact location, just the general area to help keep it quiet. It's tough balancing sharing cool places with protecting them, you know?

miles_jones392d ago

Watch someone blow up your favorite quiet spot by geo-tagging the exact rock they sat on for their lunch photo. Next thing you know there's a conga line of influencers and some guy blasting music from a Bluetooth speaker. Your rule is the only thing standing between a peaceful basin and it turning into a county fair. People are the worst part of nature sometimes.