Is it a Path or a Trail?

Alright word nerds — is it a path or a trail?

When writing Mildly Scenic, there were a few instances where I needed to make a choice for word consistency.

One such case was choosing between the words “trail” and “path.” For my definition, trails are made of dirt, and anything paved became a path (yes, even the Jedediah Smith Bike Trail… I refer to as a “bike path”). For me, this just made sense instinctively. A path is intentionally made for moving forward, whereas a trail is something left behind.


And then I began reading the book “On Trails” by Robert Moor, who wrote an entire book on the concept of a trail - who or what blazes them, who follows, from trails left by ants, the Appalachian Trail, and the origins of our interstate highways. It’s a fascinating read, recommended to me by photographer Max Whittaker.

Here is an excerpt from Moor’s book:

“The words we English speakers used to describe lines of movement — trails, traces, tracks, ways, roads, path — have grown and tangled over the years. I am as guilty of this conflation as anyone else in part because the meanings of these words, much like the things they denote, tend to overlap. But to better understand how trails function, it helps to momentarily tease them apart….

“When we take a step back, we find the key difference between a trail and a path is directional: paths extend forward whereas trails extend backward…

“Overtime, the meaning of the two terms converged to North America and the 19th century, when Anglos often found themselves traveling almost exclusively on trails left behind by animals and Native Americans. The word acquired its flavor out west the OED’s earliest citation of “trail” — meaning a foot path, animal trace or wagon road — dates back to the Lewis and Clark expedition.”

The trails (or paths) along the American River require both the trail blazer and the trial follower to remain along the landscape. It’s a little like a classic chicken or the egg scenario — it’s not just the blazing of a trail, but the followers who keep it worn down.

*It should be noted that I am not in the business of blazing trails, but I sure am in the business of following them!

Next
Next

Mildly Recommended: Wildflowers