People who love nature love to be in the wilderness. The problem is if too many nature-lovers visit one location, it's no longer wild. This conundrum is more likely to happen in the areas around a major population center like Seattle.
Craig Romano has been hiking and backpacking since the 1970s, and he's written several guidebooks for hikers.
Romano says some trails in western Washington are crowded, but many more are overlooked. He urges people to walk the less beaten path, and to be mindful of nature when they do it.
Romano has noticed that some hikers have been chasing photogenic locations on social media posts. He says that's led to unprepared hikers getting themselves into dangerous locations or engaging in destructive behavior.
KNKX's Ed Ronco talked with Romano about hiking etiquette, both to be polite to other hikers, but also to preserve environmentally fragile areas.
