Vent: The Oak Hollow trail isn't the wild hike I remember

I went back to Oak Hollow last weekend after ten years away. It used to be a messy dirt path where you had to watch for roots and rocks. Now, it's mostly gravel with signs telling you where to go every few steps. They even put in a bridge where we used to hop across the stream. It feels more like a park walk than a real hike. Has your local trail changed this much too? Part of me gets why they did it, but I miss getting a bit lost and figuring it out.

3 comments

3 Comments

xenas163d ago

Did they at least keep any of the old roots or rocks? It's rough when a place loses its wild feel like that. My local path got smoothed out and marked with signs, so now it feels too much like a sidewalk. Do you think you'll search for a new spot with more challenge?

dakota_moore3d ago

Man, I used to roll my eyes at trail improvements too. But last year I saw an older guy with a walking stick really struggling on a rooty section I loved. Now they put in a boardwalk and railings there, and I see way more people out enjoying it. I still miss the challenge sometimes, but I figure if it gets more folks into the woods, that's a good trade. Has your spot at least kept some of the old feel?

lily_black3d ago

It's sad to lose that wild feeling, especially the spot where you hopped the stream.