The Sawtooths are getting loved to death and it's a real problem

Three years ago I hiked the Alice-Toxaway loop in Idaho and saw maybe three other groups. Went back last month and counted over twenty tents at Twin Lakes alone. The trail braiding off the main path is getting bad, especially near the creek crossings. I heard a ranger say they're thinking about a permit system for next summer. Has anyone else seen a spot they used to have to themselves get totally overrun?

3 comments

3 Comments

noahhall1mo ago

Twenty tents at Twin Lakes sounds like a success story to me. More people getting outside is a good thing, and maybe those new hikers will learn to love the place enough to fight for its funding. A permit system just makes nature feel like another exclusive club for people with flexible schedules.

wren_walker621mo ago

My buddy went to Twin Lakes last summer and said the trash left behind was heartbreaking. More people can mean more damage if they don't know how to care for the land. That's the real risk when places get loved to death without any limits.

thea14317d ago

I actually read a report from the Forest Service that said Twin Lakes saw a 40% jump in visitors just last year alone. That kind of spike is exactly why we're seeing stuff like trash and damaged trails. It's not that people are bad, it's that they don't always know the basic rules for being out there. Leaving no trace sounds simple but plenty of folks just don't get that you pack out your wrappers and not your leftover tent poles. A permit system isn't about keeping people out, it's about keeping the place from getting wrecked so everyone can still enjoy it in five years.