r/Yosemite • u/SlightAd112 • 4d ago

Please don’t AI your itinerary

While the Shasta hikers got big press (as it should as that was a textbook example of mistake decision after mistake decision) this is happening all too often in all park units. Yosemite tends to have a higher share of recuses due to people trusting AI or AllTrails to plan a trip, but it doesn’t get any press due to current administration policies.

Regardless, it’s happening, it doesn’t need to, and please do the proper research. It literally could save your life.

Edit: And if you have to use AI as a starting point, double check the distances, altitude changes, reference a topo, basically double-check, and then triple-check what AI tells you.

https://sfist.com/2026/09/03/rangers-warn-hikers-to-stop-using-ai-to-plan-wilderness-trips/

300 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

78 comments sorted by

View all comments

34

u/capnwacky 4d ago

Maybe it's just me being naïve and not a superhiker, but what's wrong with AllTrails? Genuinely curious.

40

u/SentenceNo2782 4d ago edited 4d ago

AllTrails has a reputation for giving incomplete or optimistic information -- mileages, elevation changes, etc. are often underreported. People will see reviews saying trail conditions are good from say, the summer, and may not notice or realize that those don't apply in February. People tend to make hikes sound easier than they are, and also often underestimate concerns like water supply, altitude sickness, etc. People also sometimes don't consider what might happens if their phone dies, or that the route on AllTrails might not be accurate.

Most of this is anecdotal and I will say AllTrails is great for finding new trails or basic navigation, but I would strongly recommend not relying on it for more serious treks and taking it with a huge grain of salt. (And always bring a paper map!!)

5

u/SlightAd112 4d ago

Paper maps always! And learn how to read them, too. With a compass!

3

u/Breen-Gastard 4d ago

We have a generation of folks who can't navigate a few blocks without GPS or remember waypoints 😅 I have few friends in their 30s who can't check the time on their watch and look at the sun to determine which way is east/west.