WHAT ARE ‘DESIRE LINES’?

QMy pal kept pointing out tracks off the paths and referred to them as ‘desire lines’. What does he mean?

Trail says Paths are there to show us where to walk. But sometimes, they don’t go quite where we want to. Perhaps it’s to cut a corner via a shorter route, or to visit a location away from the path – there are many reason why a particular non-pathed route may get regular use. And where hordes of wandering feet have taken the same route, a trail ends up worn into the ground. The tracks show us where people have ‘desired’ – rather than where they’re ‘supposed’– to walk, and are therefore known as desire lines or desire paths, and erosion is often the result.

Some people choose their own path and, with regular use over time, a distinct 'desire line' is created.