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Humans argue about a lot of things, but if there’s one thing we’re consistent about, it’s this: we don’t like unnecessary effort. When something feels overcomplicated, we’ll often, whether we realize it or not, look for the easier way out.
That shared instinct often shows up as desire paths, the unofficial trails people create by repeatedly taking the most convenient shortcut. There’s even an entire subreddit dedicated to this phenomenon, and below you’ll find some of the latest posts from it. Funny how nothing gets us on the same page faster than a shared “nope.”
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#1
My Dog's Desire Path, Even 10 Years After He's Gone
Laszlo Larthlanc 9 hours ago
Why can't they live as long as we do, like the Daemons in The Golden Compass? I still have my best dog's collar from 40 years ago, and my eyes fill up every time I look at it hanging there on its hook by the kitchen door. She was most definitely my BFF. I know that some would criticize me and tell me to just let go, but I really loved that girl, and she really loved me. She made it to 14, but no amount of time would have been long enough if she could have stayed healthy and happy. I'm not a religious person, but I hope she's sitting patiently on the far side of the Rainbow Bridge, tail wagging slowly, just waiting for me to quit messing around here and come to her.
Lee Gilliland 3 hours ago
It has to do with the heart, smaller animals with smaller hearts have faster heart rates and higher blood pressure. We simply wear out.
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#2
Desire Path Goat?
David 5 hours ago
the idea was proposed by an economic professors who said economic principles of people finding their own max effiencies would lead to the best paths. GMU and a few other universities did this as well
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UnclePanda 11 hours ago
Why don't landscape architects ever take the next logical step of leaving the pathways out of the plan and paving the paths we wear into the landscape. Alternatively, it shouldn't be that hard to figure in advance and the architects could have adapted decades if not centuries ago. We want direct paths from door to door with the width of the path established by traffic.
Brian Droste 3 hours ago (edited)
I would hate to be the person to mow that. Also either Michigan state or university of Michigan did the samething.
#3
Do Non Human Desire Paths Count?
Lee Gilliland 3 hours ago
Do you think there are no paths without humans or something? That's how you hunt, you follow animal pths.
#4
Viscardigasse Is A Street In Munich With A Path Paved In Bronze To Honor Those Who Took It To Avoid Having To Do The Salute
TMTMTMTM 19 hours ago
"because locals could use it to bypass the nearby N**i memorial to the martyrs of the 1923 Beer Hall Putsch, thus avoiding the requirement to perform a Hitler salute to the guarded structure"
Michael Largey 3 hours ago
I'm not dancing a single beat in a certain ballroom, either.
Load More Replies... #5
People Said No To This Speed Bump
Charlotte Ingle 21 hours ago
Is that seriously a bicycle speed bump? Never seen one before, probably because it doesn't look snowplow compatible.
G.T. van Middendorp 18 hours ago
In the Netherlands we have bicycle highways; meant to travel by bike quickly. Especially e-bikes and fatbikes can reach fast speeds. Very rarely will you encounter a speedbump like this, but when you do see them they are there to slow you down a bit because of something like a playground or an upcoming sharp turn or crossing or something
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Purple light 4 hours ago
I live very close to this one. It is in Amsterdam Zuidoost (South East)
#6
This Person Turned A Desire Path To KFC Into California's Shortest Hiking Trail
Instagram user matterneuroscience spotted an urban desire path that led to a KFC in an urban area in North Auburn California.
In an act of civic silliness, they named the 0.05 mile trail the Chicken Little Trail, put up an official-looking trail marker, and then informed Google Maps of its existence.
#7
The People Yearn For A Sidewalk
#8
If Not Path, Then Why Path-Shaped?
#9
Yeah That Wasn't Gonna Happen
Charlotte Ingle 21 hours ago
I don't understand what the plan was.where there supposed to be trees in the loops?
Steven Freund 10 hours ago
These designs are usually meant for wheelchair accessibility or weaker walkers; reduces the degree of slope, which the able-bodied naturally don't have the patience for.
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Sally Moen 17 hours ago
The sidewalks by my work do this. Impossible to walk normally on, forget having to pass others going the opposite direction
UnclePanda 11 hours ago (edited)
When the boss orders too much cement? This was laid out by people who only walk at a meandering pace and have all day to get there.
Bob Brooce 19 hours ago
Hard to tell from the perspective, but something about the picture makes me think it goes downhill. If it does the curves might be to reduce the pitch.
Sally Moen 17 hours ago
Supposed to turn these paths into leisurely walks not for recreational use
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#10
View From My Office Building
Charlotte Ingle 21 hours ago
Might as well make those official and pave them, they all seem to lead somewhere
Forrest Hobbs 19 hours ago
Charlotte Ingle: but why not leave it unpaved? I'd rather natural ground be left in that state. If it gets muddy when wet - well then, take the long way round.
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#11
The Amount Of Time Saved By This One Is Insane
#12
Wish I Could See What The View Is Like From Up There!
#13
Officially Recognized Now
Nice desired path on the UCF campus; after spring break, this sign popped up.
UnclePanda 10 hours ago
It might say "15 ft" at the bottom but "0.002 miles" makes it funnier.
#14
It’s Beautiful
Forrest Hobbs 19 hours ago
Charlotte Ingle: it's a sign of no paved roadways at all from the look of it. OP says it's Malanville, Benin.
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Antoinette the Red 6 hours ago
I think I prefer this over a sea of manicured lawns. Gives the impression that there are actual people living in the neighborhood, going off to school or work, maybe even visiting a neighbor.
Serena Myers 36 minutes ago
The River Nǐger? BP's censor bot stamps its feet and has hysterics over the least little word that Might Offend these days!
Load More Replies... #15
There's A Guy At The Park Who Does Tai Chi So Much He Left A Ring In The Ground
#16
Path Through The Great Wall Of China
ohjojo (you/your's) 2 minutes ago
I read it was a construction crew trying to save a little time by not going around.
#17
Desire Path Made Official
Na Schi 17 hours ago
Almost well done, only the steps are disappointing as they exclude people with mobility issues.
Ace 16 hours ago
They still have the option to use the pre-existing path with no steps.
Load More Replies... #18
It Would Be Easier To Move The Crosswalk Instead
Sally Moen 17 hours ago
Because a crosswalk forces drivers to stop and pay attention, and when they do not and the pedestrian is injured or k1ll3d, it's the fault of the crosswalk.
UnclePanda 11 hours ago
This sort of sign is to protect liability. They can't really stop pedestrians from crossing there short of building a wall. This preserves their ability to say that they provided a warning and the accident victim chose to proceed. I can't really blame them, you could buy thousands of signs for the cost of one lost liability lawsuit.
UnclePanda 10 hours ago
Additionally, safety teams rarely have the budget to fix things. This could have been the most they could afford.
Load More Replies... Bob Brooce 19 hours ago
It would be really useful to know how much the crosswalk is offset from the path on the other side, and if it lines up to another path.
Marie 18 hours ago
And also what's on the left side of the picture. Is there a reason to have the crosswalk away from something maybe ?
Load More Replies... #19
A Desire Path So Desired That It's Recognized By Google
Nicole Weymann 15 hours ago
*May* have something to do with the station rather than the restaurant.
Load More Replies... #20
Very Pronounced Desire Path At My School
#21
Informally Called The "Kitty Highway", The Neighborhood Cat Trail Through Our Yard Was Near Invisible Until First Snowfall
#22
Desirestaircase?
Brian Droste 3 hours ago
If there is a easier but a longer way around, I would take that route at my age.
#23
Desire Path Around A Roundabout In My City
Heffalump 21 hours ago
That is such dumb design. If they had paved the desire path and put in a 'T' juction in the middle to cross the outer road they could have replaced 2 crossings with 1 and reduced the total amount of paving.
Forrest Hobbs 19 hours ago (edited)
Heffalump: this looks like a variation on an intelligent design that makes things safer and more convenient for pedestrians and cyclists - developed in the Netherlands, if I recall correctly. I've read the explanation on-line somewhere. This one is apparently Rondo Jana Pawła located in Zielona Góra, Poland. The "desire paths" are the four routes that connect the four motor vehicle entrances/exits around the roundabout. If anything about it looks wrong to a casual observer, that's probably because the casual observer doesn't know about all the issues that had to be considered when designing this particular junction, and the compromises that those issues resulted in. When you build something like this, there's a good reason for every design decision. Well, mostly. Hopefully? 😬
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Nicole Weymann 15 hours ago
The desire paths are the small brownish lines next to the roundabout, leading from crossing to crossing. Apparently the one in the bottom is used least.
Load More Replies... #24
Does A Path Created By Ants Count?
TACO Don's Authentic TexMex 12 hours ago
Ants aren't very good people though. You know who are terrible people? Horses. Horses are terrible people
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UnclePanda 10 hours ago (edited)
I spent a delightful afternoon watching an entire nest of ants move, eggs and all. They came in the front door, neatly hiked single file through the house, and went out the crack in the back wall. I felt strangely honored to watch the procession.
#25
McDonald's Tried To Fight It But After A Few Years Went With It
#26
The Bikes Don't Want To Take The Long Way Around
John Dilligaf 1 hour ago
If you look at the site on google streetview you'll see that the bike path goes up a steep embankment. The area where the blue line is is significantly higher than the bottom right corner.
Laszlo Larthlanc 9 hours ago
What was even the point of making this path so ridiculously long?
John Dilligaf 1 hour ago
it's a hill, or more correctly an embankment. The area where the blue line is is significantly higher than the bottom right corner.
Load More Replies... Sally Moen 17 hours ago
Bicyclists aren't race car drivers who enjoy going around tight corners
#27
The Desire Was Strong
#28
Fun Sign At A School Trying To Abolish, Terminate, And End A Desire Path
Sally Moen 17 hours ago
Grass is dumb on school grounds. Try other low-growing plants to stabilize the ground, and you wouldn't need to mow
Lily bloom 1 hour ago
That sign makes me want to do all the things (after I check the definition of a few)
#29
Desire Path Through The Hedge
Lily bloom 1 hour ago
Im curious what the parking lot is really for and why f***y cars are parked over there in Narnia
#32
Path Of Ice Shows Where People Used To Walk
UnclePanda 10 hours ago (edited)
Goats will do this but what's missing is that they also drop 'nannyberries' continually. So what you really wind up with in the spring is a long, narrow ice and pooop lasagna that's the last thing to melt.
#33
I Don't Think People Are Listening
#34
People Walking On The Grass Because Of The Huge Uncomfortable "Gravel" Used
#35
They Think This Will Stop Us
Sally Moen 17 hours ago
Spreading a bit of fine gravel onto the muddy path would have been cheaper and made the path safer
Michael Largey 3 hours ago (edited)
One of my former students was a high hurdles champ. She could clear that fence at a slow trot with her eyes shut.
Nicole Weymann 15 hours ago
Different perspectiv, but the same one as above (currently at #22)
#36
Who Would Want To Walk 200m Extra
Serena Myers 26 minutes ago
Humans and animals, all creatures, follow the easiest and quickest path.
#37
Desire Paths Connecting A Suburban Neighborhood To The Strip Mall Next To It In The Mojave
#38
My And The Other Cats From The House Made A Desirepath Over The Years
It‘s fascinating to see 7 cats adhere to their path.
#39
Desire Path Made Into A Real Path!
#40
Brussels University
Chocolate llama 14 hours ago
Do you want 2 or more paths? Because this is how you get 2 or more paths
#42
Slovakia (Allegedly)
Danielle 3 hours ago
They built one exactly like this on my estate, newly built. No flower bed, just a mound of grass. I have no.idea why and it if course had a desire path through the middle.
Load More Replies... #43
Bike Desire Path In The Netherlands
Nicole Weymann 15 hours ago
Who plans stairs in a public space in the *Netherlands* and doesn't account for bikers?
#44
Classic American No-Sidewalk Desire Path
Lee Gilliland 2 hours ago
You guys do realize that until the 1960s it was unusual to have paved sidewalks unless you lived in a city, right?
Robin Roper 54 minutes ago
But it's now 2026 so sidewalks should be put in where sidewalks are needed.
Load More Replies... #45
The People Have Spoken
#46
Nobody Could Plan For This
Sally Moen 17 hours ago
Hmm, I think I'll walk 30 feet down the sidewalk to the break in the hedge in order to turn right 90 degrees then left 90 degrees so I can follow directions some city engineer decided
#47
Why Should I Go Left, If I Need To Go Right?
Sally Moen 17 hours ago
Well actually neither is really safe to cross, there's no crossing arms to bar you from oncoming trains
Verena 4 hours ago
See the red/white vertical poles? When horizontal, they block the paved path
Load More Replies... #48
You Can't Stop Them
#49
Not Taking The Stairs
Purple light 4 hours ago
Also near me (Amsterdam Zuidoost) I use the stairs because I need a bannister to hold onto, but they are scary squeaky metal stairs.
#50
Because Walking Above The Path Is More Fun
#51
Wow! 🤩 Does This Count? A Paved Desire Path In Tirana, Albania
#52
My Trusty Desire Path Is Under Attack. How To Proceed?
Mike F 20 hours ago
Grasp center pole firmly and yeet it into the nearest shrub. Slide lumber out of left and right poles and hide in shrubbery. Celebrate reopening of desire path.
Forrest Hobbs 19 hours ago
Mike F: mmm. Me? I'd be tidier about it. Slide the two supporting poles towards the centre of the wooden rail, move neatly to one side to free up the path being careful to keep things standing upright, then stand the centre pole alongside, ensuring everything is in clear sight.
Load More Replies... #53
Not Sure How To Feel About This One
Charlotte Ingle 21 hours ago
No one is damaging the headstone, and the deceased might have been chuffed to know people stepped aside for them in perpetuity!
Sally Moen 17 hours ago
Cemeteries are well-known for having shortcuts and desire paths. Lots of cemeteries have hills and sudden dips in the land that really are not maintained, and gravestones do shift from tree roots, so you gotta walk around them. Not so much as extremely isolating this one is, though.
#54
They Took Our Desire Path :(
Panda McPandaface 20 hours ago
There's nothing for it - I'm just going to have to go the long way.
Lee Gilliland 2 hours ago
Nope. They attempted to block it. Attempted being the key word here.
#55
Two Different Desire Paths By Squirrels And Rats. The Park Is Covered By Them. I Think It’s Neat
#57
Desire Path In Dutch Is Elephant Path
Nicole Weymann 15 hours ago
Let's start a collection: In German it's "Trampelpfad", literally "stomping path". 😀
Forrest Hobbs 19 hours ago
Panda McPandaface: 🤣. Yes, but I think the idiom in question comes from the point that "Elephants go where they like and you pretty much can't stop them".
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#58
We’ve Been Betrayed
Forrest Hobbs 19 hours ago
Pfft. Anyone with normal walking ability can go right over that, surely? - put a foot on the rail, up and over, no worries. The rubbish bin gives a good idea of the rather low height. Hmm. Okay, maybe people shorter than my average-for-a-man height might disagree. Still, small children will either duck under or have fun climbing or leaping over.
Laserleader 5 hours ago
They start and end the poles where the pat starts and ends. They just made people take another step to the left to go around it.
Michael Largey 3 hours ago
Yes, the grass at the bottom of that tree's trunk will be the next to go.
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#59
Mushrooms Growing A Straight Line To The Sewer
#60
At The University I'm At They Decided To Fence Off A Path To Prevent People Going Up It
Ace 16 hours ago
You can already see the beginnings of a new desire path just to the left of the 'fence'.
Nicole Weymann 15 hours ago
"But...but...you weren't supposed to DO that!"
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Forrest Hobbs 19 hours ago
Sportsgal: not just walk around it. When I was at university, I probably would have made a point of vaulting over it, using a hand on the top rail to help. Others would have done too. The thing would have collapsed inside a week. *Drunk* university students would have just kicked the rails off... This barrier is not well thought out.
Load More Replies... Charlotte Ingle 21 hours ago
That is a pretty lame deterrent, but does provide new opportunities for leaning.
#61
Why Only One When You Can Have Four?
Charlotte Ingle 21 hours ago
Going traffic, retiring traffic, and the person they were each talking to
The Other Guest 9 hours ago
I was thinking Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow & Lion.
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#62
I'm Pretty Sure The Homeowners Made This For Themselves
#63
Humans: Invent Roads. Also Humans: Nah, I Forge My Own Destiny
Forrest Hobbs 19 hours ago
Yeah, now then: see that green Asda sign to the far right? See where it says "Diolch"? That's Welsh for "Thanks". This is in Wales. Putting up a sign that's only in English in Wales pretty guarantees it'll get ignored - Welsh is official in Wales, and Welsh comes first on signs. I mean, not that a sign would work here in any case, but... 🤣 (I"m faintly surprised that someone hasn't done the decent thing with a spray can and obliterated the English-only sign - perhaps that happened next week. I'm English and I don't speak Welsh, but I do sympathise, you know?)
Forrest Hobbs 6 hours ago (edited)
Unicorn: that fence you see is railings between the pavement (sidewalk) and the road. It keeps the traffic away from the pedestrians, and also stops the pedestrians crossing the road right there - they've got to get to the traffic light controlled pedestrian crossing for that (looks like a Puffin crossing to me), which is what the desire path leads them to.
Load More Replies... Ece Cenker 13 hours ago
Please do not close off the end of the so called purpose made paved path, then?
#64
Golf Course Trying To Fight The Desire Path
#65
Alternate Network
#68
Desire Path Blocked With Impermeable Barrier
Panda McPandaface 19 hours ago
I can't work it out, I'll just have to double back.
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#71
Some People Would Do Anything To Avoid Stairs
Caffeinated Ape 18 hours ago
Oh hey, that's NZ. Heh, a quick glance at the original thread confirms. If not this exact trail I've definitely been on ones just like it.
Forrest Hobbs 19 hours ago (edited)
Sometimes, the steps can be uncomfortably high, and the natural gradient an easier walk. The problem here is that the steps are put in to reduce erosion from walking. Still, things usually work out. We've got stuff like this not very far from me - the scenes look incredibly familiar, but apparently it's in NZ, so actually on the other side of the planet.
Norm Gilmore 18 hours ago
Could also be overtaking spots. On popular walks the slower walkers on the steps get passed by the faster.
#72
Could This Be The Smallest One Ever ???
Brian Droste 2 hours ago
Are people so lazy that they couldn't take a extra second or two to go around the corner? Apparently so.
Sally Moen 17 hours ago
Why is that post there? It's not an old hitching post for horses, what possible purpose does it fill except to note the end of a path, which is dumb
howdylee 11 hours ago
Bollard to stop a car from going onto the sidewalk (where photographer is standing).
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#75
The Most Unnecessary Desire Path
#76
The Cones Tried And Failed
#77
Oh No They Blocked It
Michael Largey 2 hours ago
If I'm tired enough to need a bench, I'm tired enough to need a shortcut.
Ece Cenker 13 hours ago
What they did is they placed seating area in mid foot traffic. Very uncomfortable.
#79
Shaving Those Valuable Seconds Off!
Blackmoon The Dragon 11 hours ago
Some people just don't like to go around sharp corners (aka me)
#84
Shortcut To The Trailhead
#88
Red Harvester Ants Have Created A Desire Path In My Turf
#90
Cleveland State – The Snow Melts Slower On The Path
#93
Desire Path?
Rinso The Red 9 hours ago
I have this. One of my dogs is part greyhound and RUNS the perimeter. My other dogs try to keep up, but end up rounding out all the corners trying to shave off time.
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What do you think ?
Laszlo Larthlanc 9 hours ago
When I'm trying to get someplace new in the local National Forest I almost always look for the desire paths made by deer, bears, and coyotes. Frequently the same path is used by all animals, and they always find the shortest and easiest route.
carmenagnes 3 hours ago
I get paid over 220 Bucks per hour working from home with 2 kids at home. i never thought i'd be able to do it but my best friend earns over 15k a month doing this and she convinced me to try. the potential with this is endless..., COPY HERE➤➤ 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗝𝗼𝗯𝟭.𝗰𝗼𝗺
Load More Replies... Ece Cenker 13 hours ago
I'm surprised to find out that the snow melts slower on the paths compared to on the grass/earth. I would expect people to keep walking on the paths and melt the snow earlier.
UnclePanda 10 hours ago
The snow gets compacted and can approach ice in density.
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Parmeisan 5 hours ago
I used to always walk the official paths, not wanting to k**l the grass. Eventually I realized that either it's just one person and that won't hurt the grass, or it's a bunch of people and I'm only contributing to the inevitable. I might still avoid grass that's struggling but not fully-fledged desire path, but otherwise, it really is on the designers/planners to account for human behaviour.
Laszlo Larthlanc 9 hours ago
When I'm trying to get someplace new in the local National Forest I almost always look for the desire paths made by deer, bears, and coyotes. Frequently the same path is used by all animals, and they always find the shortest and easiest route.
carmenagnes 3 hours ago
I get paid over 220 Bucks per hour working from home with 2 kids at home. i never thought i'd be able to do it but my best friend earns over 15k a month doing this and she convinced me to try. the potential with this is endless..., COPY HERE➤➤ 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗝𝗼𝗯𝟭.𝗰𝗼𝗺
Load More Replies... Ece Cenker 13 hours ago
I'm surprised to find out that the snow melts slower on the paths compared to on the grass/earth. I would expect people to keep walking on the paths and melt the snow earlier.
UnclePanda 10 hours ago
The snow gets compacted and can approach ice in density.
Load More Replies... Parmeisan 5 hours ago
I used to always walk the official paths, not wanting to k**l the grass. Eventually I realized that either it's just one person and that won't hurt the grass, or it's a bunch of people and I'm only contributing to the inevitable. I might still avoid grass that's struggling but not fully-fledged desire path, but otherwise, it really is on the designers/planners to account for human behaviour.
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