A video showing what appears to be a "hiking rave" on a wilderness trail caused some serious eye-rolling and concern on Instagram in November. 

The post from Tourons of National Parks (@touronsofnationalparks) showed dozens of costumed participants dancing and cheering on a hiking path, drawing criticism from outdoor enthusiasts who argue their behavior disrespected nature and fellow hikers. 

The account noted the incident occurred in British Columbia, Canada. 

"I go hiking to get away from this energy," one commenter wrote in response to the post. 

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A post shared by @touronsofnationalparks

"There are reasons why there may be limits on the number of hikers allowed in a group on a trail," the OP wrote in the description, listing environmental impact, safety concerns, trail maintenance, user experience, and regulatory compliance as key factors. 

Typical group size limits for day hikes range from eight to 12 people, while wilderness areas often cap groups at six to 12, per the post. 

Large groups engaging in loud activities on trails can cause harm to wildlife and ecosystems. Animals depend on wilderness for feeding, breeding, and shelter, and human disturbances can force them to flee, disrupting critical behaviors and wasting energy reserves they need to survive. 

Furthermore, excessive and inappropriate trail use can lead to erosion and vegetation damage that can take years to recover. The noise pollution also travels beyond the immediate area, disturbing fellow hikers and wildlife throughout the surrounding forest. 

Respecting wilderness spaces helps protect them for future generations and ensures all visitors can enjoy the peace and solitude they provide. Some people are working to educate visitors about responsible stewardship, while many parks are implementing group size restrictions and permitting systems to manage visitor impact. 

"I swear, parks are going to have to start requiring visitors take a course on responsible wilderness stewardship before giving people access," one commenter noted. 

Another commenter responded, "This embarrassment unfortunately occurs in my beautiful province of BC, in the lower mainland. I see the organizer posting about this event on our local hiking [Facebook] pages and he gets lots of flack about it … but somehow, he still gets participants."

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