25 Times When ‘Desire Paths’ Overtook Official Routes (New Pics)
When there is a demarcated path to follow, if you see a shorter more sensible route that is clearly off the intended route but would save you time and effort, would you take the long way or take the shortcut?
This ‘short-cut’ also known as the “desire path” has been described as “paths & tracks made over time by the wishes & feet of walkers, especially those … that run contrary to design or planning” by Robert Macfarlane or in his simpler words, “free-will ways.” Turns out there’s a whole subreddit dedicated to the subject and we’ve shared some of the most satisfying examples in the gallery below.
#1 Next Level Desire Path
Kim : Well done Jason.
#6 Been Here 30 Years, I Don’t Think The Gate Has Ever Been Used
Kim : If this could only work in videogames…
#11 Miami U (Ohio) With The Awareness!!
#16 Ultimate Acceptance
#21 This His Is In Fact A Walkway, Thanks Though Lil’ Sign
Mavis : This sign was put up by local council to cover their own a*s, in case anyone slips and breaks their neck. There’s probably a paved walkway just out of the picture.
#2 Desire Path Created By A Squirrel We Feed Peanuts To Every Morning
GrillMeASalmon : That’s actually very nice…
#7 Well Worn Wal-Mart Path. Deepest I’ve Ever Seen
#12 Update: Tree Is Budding + Secondary Path
Kim : Lets see how many trees they plant
#17 Three Years Ago, I Posted About A Desire Path On My Campus. We Are Successful!
#22 It’s Not Very Long But It’s Got Character
#3 Desirepath Regocnition In The Netherlands
Kim : Smart. Here is somone who actually took in what people wanted.
#8 We Won !
#13 Desire Stairs
GrillMeASalmon : Beautiful! Looks like a virtual staircase.
#18 Frosty Scotland
#23 Useful Desire Path
Sheri Lytle : even walk paths get pot holes…lol
#4 Understandable Desire Path
FloC : Sometimes the direct path is too steep for someone using a [wheelchair], that’s may be the reason for the long path.
#9 They’re Both Kind Of Appealing
Kim : One to Narnia and one to the Shire
#14 Beautiful Exemplar
pep Ito : Maybe I’m wrong, but it looks like a path in a park to me, and paths in parks are made for walking so there is no point in taking shortcuts, but to enjoy the walk itself and the conversations with whoever you are walking with.
#19 The Fast Track To Fastrac
#24 My Daughter Found The Shortest Way Home
GrillMeASalmon : Toddler-Positioning-System working well here.
#5 Never Heard Of This Before, But Figured I Had The Perfect One
GrillMeASalmon : Detour? Me?? Naaaah…
#10 Desire Steps?
sbj : works for me!
#15 “Please, Take This Circuitous Route Following The Perimeter” Signed, The Architects
#20 Desire Path To Avoid A Branch Hanging Over Another Larger Desire Path
#25 Long, Foggy, More Direct Desire Path At Ucsc
Kim: I’d stick to the lit road
Shanilou Perera
Shanilou has always loved reading and learning about the world we live in. While she enjoys fictional books and stories just as much, since childhood she was especially fascinated by encyclopaedias and strangely enough, self-help books. As a kid, she spent most of her time consuming as much knowledge as she could get her hands on and could always be found at the library. Now, she still enjoys finding out about all the amazing things that surround us in our day-to-day lives and is blessed to be able to write about them to share with the whole world as a profession.
