Detour
Overview
A detour is a temporary or permanent reroute that diverts a trail from its usual line, often due to closures, hazards, or land management decisions. It may be officially signed or informally adopted.
Key points
- Used when sections of the primary route are closed or impractical to travel.
- May be established by land managers, trail organizations, or informal user practice.
- Can involve road walks, alternate trails, or cross-country segments where appropriate.
- Detours may change distance, elevation, or difficulty compared with the main route.
- Hikers are generally expected to follow mandatory detours when closures are in effect.
Details
Detours occur when a portion of the standard trail corridor becomes unavailable or inadvisable. Causes range from fire damage, washouts, and bridge failures to wildlife protection measures, seasonal closures, or land access changes. Official detours are typically communicated via signage, online updates, or trail association notices.
An official detour may direct hikers along secondary trails, forest roads, or paved roads that bypass the affected area. These routes can differ significantly from the original in terms of scenery, grade, and distance. Some detours are temporary and revert to the original line after repairs or conditions improve, while others become long-term or permanent.
Informal detours arise when hikers collectively adopt alternate lines to avoid obstacles such as extensive deadfall, difficult water crossings, or other challenges. While these may become well known, they do not carry the same status as officially sanctioned reroutes, and hikers remain responsible for their own choices.
In many cases, respecting closures and following official detours is part of maintaining good relationships between hiking communities, landowners, and managing agencies.
Related topics
- alternate-route
- planning-and-logistics-overview
- safety-and-risk-management-frameworks
- trail-environments-and-terrain-types-overview
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Illustrative hiking footage
The following external videos offer general visual context for typical hiking environments. They are not official route recommendations, safety instructions, or planning tools.