A screenshot showing two STRAVA heatmap images, one of Rocky Mountain (in the Catskills) and the other the trail from Route 47 up Slide Mountain (the tallest mountain in the Catskills). The paths up Rocky are widely scattered, showing GPS tracks of hikers struggling through the eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) and difficult terrain except for that one really steep chute where bigfoot hangs out. The other shows highly concentrated paths up probably the most heavily used trail in the Catskills, where you don't want to go off the trail except to find a spot that hasn't been recently used to take a separation break without stepping in something unpleasant. Left: STRAVA heat map image of Rocky Mountain, an unmarked Formerly Trailless peak. Visitor-created, informal trails significantly fragmented the landscape. Right: STRAVA heat map image of a high use marked trail in the Slide Mountain Wilderness. The marked trail consolidates foot traffic resulting in minimal landscape fragmentation.

The heat map images on the page show the difference between widely scattered hikers going all over the place, vs. a heavily used single trail.

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