No Trespassing Signs

Trail Running and No Trespassing Signs

Trailrunners as a group are a pretty respectful lot. We’re generally pretty environmentally conscious, we try to clean up after ourselves, and we’d not be described as “troublemakers.” What then, makes many of us (your author included) feel that No Trespassing signs don’t apply to us on our runs? We willfully pass signs, jump fences, and squeeze through gates to get to the next trail, rarely acknowledging that we’re breaking the rules.

Trespassing laws vary state to state and county to county and I’ve no interest delving into the intricacies of statute, but if you’d like to learn more about the consequences and penalties in your area, click right here or here or here or here.

From my understanding, if you’re caught on private land and the landowner asks you to leave, you must leave immediately. I suppose it’s up for conversation if it’s best for you to leave the way you came, or the most direct route possible. Be safe.

Also, in most cases, a landowner can not use force to remove you unless you (the runner) are threatening the main house on the property.

Finally, most of the laws I’ve looked at have special provisions for weapons. If you’re caught on property with a weapon (presumably for hunting), it’s an entirely different story than a runner shuffling through with a hydration vest.

The groups that I’ve run with follow similar rationalizations to my own, and what it boils down to is…what does the sign look like, what does the fence look like, and most importantly, is it smart to do this?

If it’s an old sign in the middle of nowhere with a beat up fence that hasn’t been maintained, I’m not even going to stop, but if it’s a newer sign with explicit “No’s” on a fence that’s been maintained recently, I’ll likely find another route. The last thing I need is a pack of guard dogs coming after me.

Likewise, if I’m on a trail that’s close to a neighborhood, homes, or businesses, I’ll stay clear and find a new route. Same goes for when I’m running in pot country. If I suspect a grow and see signs, I hightail it out of there and hope that there’s a Strava segment so I can snag a KOM.

Finally, it’s the gut check. Does this seem smart? Do I get a bad feeling about venturing past this fence onto someone else’s land? Does this make sense?

I’ve had a few instances of getting hassled by landowners, but nothing that would be described

as threatening. The worst case was a few years ago running on Catalina Island. The Conservancy requires a permit to be on the trails even for day use, and since I was going on one of my typical early morning jaunts (combined with my general disdain for dumb rules), I didn’t bother with the paperwork. A few hours later a Ranger caught me up on a ridge, and though I did my best to get out of it, put me in his truck and drove me back to town. No monetary fine, but a real bummer, as it was working out to be a beautiful run.

Do you ignore signs too? Have you had any run-ins with landowners? What’s been your experience? Care to comment?

8 Responses to "No Trespassing Signs"

Daryle Lamoureux says:

August 22, 2013 at 10:39 am

You hit the nail on the head. I pretty much do what you described.

Reply
Tobbe Rasberg says:

August 22, 2013 at 11:08 am

Being from Sweden we have this thing called “Allemansratt”, translated something similar to “Every-mans-right”. It’s a old tradition, probobly late 15th century or something.

As long as you don’t destroy or disturb the wildlife or nature you are pretty much free to do anything you like everywhere. You can not break limbs from the trees and so on, not camp on someones lawn or for an exemple run over fields with crops and stuff like that. But besides from that, you can do pretty much what you like. For example camp on other peoples land as long as you are not a disturbance and clean up after, pick berries, fungus, wild living fruits and so on.

Long explanation to get to my point. I never care much about those signs (we have them, but most people who know about their rights don’t mind them), since I know what I’m supposed to do and not to do, and I have a pretty darn good knowledge about my rights (got the swedish equivalent to a LL.M of Law).

As long as you treat the enviroment respectfully and don’t overstep your rights there is not much anyone can do to stop you from running whereever you like.

Reply
Mitch says:

August 22, 2013 at 12:38 pm

As a former land owner I must admit I never cross a No Trespassing sign. If it’s old, it because the land owner doesn’t have time to go out every couple years to put up another 100 signs. (Legally if it’s possible that someone could have come onto your land without seeing the sign, then you have no case, so you need to have them about every 20-50 feet) And if the fence is beat up it’s because it’s probably 50 years old and fences are really just there to show property lines. Land owners know that if someone wants to go over it, they will, so it’s not worth the expense. Also, you would have to rip up the trees and “nature” that have grown over and into the old fence and most land owners who have woodland like it that way for hunting, etc.

I guess I’m old fashion but I think if it says “No Trespassing” in means “No Trespassing”.

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Ned Barrett says:

August 22, 2013 at 12:40 pm

As I was walking/That ribbon of highway,/I saw before me/ a sign that said, “No Trespassing.”/On the other side/That sign said nothing./That side was made for you and me. –Woody Guthrie

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Ryan says:

August 23, 2013 at 3:09 am

I follow the signs, if it says No Trespassing, then dont trespass. It is that simple. Why would someone even question that? I am an avid runner, and if a runner trespasses on my land without permission I will have them arrested, (which happens here in Virginia). If you want to run on my land, or anyone elses, ask for permission. I will let you run on my land as long as you are respectful. Blatantly trespassing is disrespectful no matter who you are.

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Guy says:

August 26, 2013 at 9:22 am

I work for a major airport and have the privelidge of running the trails on its 5000 acres. BUT-we have very old NO Tresspass signs and our LEO’s pretty much have a zero tolerence for folks crossing the boundary. My advise is if the land owner has gone to the trouble of having signs made with their name on it, turn around.

Reply
1. eric schranz says:
  
  August 26, 2013 at 10:22 am
  
  Guy,
  I wouldn’t think of running near an airport, installation, base, camp, or other facility where the signs are clearly there for a reason. I should have been more clear. I’m talking about rural trails out in the middle of nowhere, miles from the nearest road.
  Buy dang, you get to run on 5000 acres of private trails? Awesome!
  
  Reply
  1. Guy says:
    
    August 26, 2013 at 3:34 pm
    
    Hey Eric! I hear ya. Umstead Park borders our airport. (Guess you know where I am now). A lot of folks inadvertently end up in the wrong place. No fences, just signs in the woods.
    
    Ever run on a runway?
    
    Reply

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