Influencers: Please Do Not Promote the Santa Fe to Taos Trail

The Santa Fe to Taos Trail is already in a serious overuse situation.

More publicity, influencer coverage, YouTube videos, Instagram reels, “hidden gem” posts, gear-list articles, itinerary breakdowns, and other promotional content are not helping the trail right now. They are increasing pressure on fragile places faster than the trail association, land managers, nearby communities, campsites, water sources, and resupply systems can responsibly absorb.

The trail is young. The infrastructure is very limited. One person is basically managing everything for this trail. Campsites are being monitored for impact. High alpine lake basins are especially vulnerable. The route also passes through places where increased traffic affects nearby communities, land managers, volunteers, and private partners. Our registration data shows the scale of what is happening.

Santa Fe to Taos Trail 2026 Registered Hikers Compared With Estimated Annual Finishers on Other Long-Distance Trails ____________ Notes: SF2T 2026 figures are registration counts, not finisher counts. “SF2T 2026 as of June 26” reflects 441 registered hikers to date. “SF2T 2026 projected by Oct. 15” is a straight-line projection (894 hikers) based on the current registration pace from March 11–June 26, rounded to 900. Other trail figures are rounded estimates of annual full-route finishers or end-to-end completions, based on available trail-organization reports and voluntary completion rosters. Registration does not necessarily mean a hiker starts or finishes. This chart is intended as a scale comparison, not a precise census.

The SF2T was created to help people reconnect with the land. It was not created to become the next viral thru-hike.

Please do not make promotional content about the SF2T right now or in the near future.

This includes:

  • YouTube videos presenting the SF2T as a new thru-hike to do
  • social media posts designed to drive attention to the route
  • “how to hike the SF2T” content
  • influencer, UGC, media, brand, or trial-campaign coverage
  • posts that identify fragile campsites, alpine lakes, water sources, or other sensitive locations
  • content that frames the SF2T as a hidden gem, bucket-list hike, or emerging long-distance trail

Ordinary personal sharing is not the issue. The problem is amplification. A few photos and shares of peoples’ trips are fine. Influencers using the SF2T as their content vehicle is the problem.

The helpful thing right now is quieter, slower, lower-impact use.

If you have already made promotional content about the SF2T, please consider taking it down, limiting its reach, removing detailed logistics, or adding a clear note that the trail is currently in an overuse situation and should not be promoted.