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.”
#1 My Dog's Desire Path, Even 10 Years After He's Gone
© Photo: Scion_of_Perturabo
#2 Desire Path Goat?
© Photo: Joe-Ferriss
#3 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
© Photo: ChoiceMycologist
#4 Do Non Human Desire Paths Count?
© Photo: koki1235
#5 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.
© Photo: mindful-bed-slug
#6 People Said No To This Speed Bump
© Photo: stxxyy
#7 It’s Beautiful
© Photo: Nientea
#8 The People Yearn For A Sidewalk
© Photo: Realistic-Farmer6792
#9 If Not Path, Then Why Path-Shaped?
© Photo: Jeffmaster223
#10 The Amount Of Time Saved By This One Is Insane
© Photo: AdOtherwise655
#11 View From My Office Building
© Photo: iKONIC-ONCE
#12 Officially Recognized Now
Nice desired path on the UCF campus; after spring break, this sign popped up.
© Photo: carson111000
#13 Yeah That Wasn't Gonna Happen
© Photo: Ok_Imagination_6130
#14 Path Through The Great Wall Of China
© Photo: good_hugs
#15 Desire Path Around A Roundabout In My City
© Photo: CloudetteMist
#16 Very Pronounced Desire Path At My School
© Photo: No-Wash-7001
#17 Wish I Could See What The View Is Like From Up There!
© Photo: WilliamAEden
#18 It Would Be Easier To Move The Crosswalk Instead
© Photo: franferns
#19 A Desire Path So Desired That It's Recognized By Google
© Photo: ChrisAvent
#20 Desire Path Made Official
© Photo: DownDeep99
#21 The Desire Was Strong
© Photo: iBeatYouOverTheFence
#22 Informally Called The "Kitty Highway", The Neighborhood Cat Trail Through Our Yard Was Near Invisible Until First Snowfall
© Photo: japanther22
#23 There's A Guy At The Park Who Does Tai Chi So Much He Left A Ring In The Ground
© Photo: sirhoracedarwin
#24 Path Of Ice Shows Where People Used To Walk
© Photo: StrategyExpensive969
#25 Does A Path Created By Ants Count?
© Photo: lardladd
#26 The Bikes Don't Want To Take The Long Way Around
© Photo: Nuzzylockhart
#27 Fun Sign At A School Trying To Abolish, Terminate, And End A Desire Path
© Photo: jsoliloquy
#28 McDonald's Tried To Fight It But After A Few Years Went With It
© Photo: AzerimReddit
#29 Desire Path Through The Hedge
© Photo: deryclem
#30 Who Would’ve Thought That People Have To Go To Zebra Crossings
© Photo: Status_Procedure7312
#31 Desirestaircase?
© Photo: Rango_4
#32 Desire Path Made Into A Real Path!
© Photo: TedTheRedMan
#33 Best Thing To Prevent Desire Path
© Photo: Few_Cabinet_5644
#34 Slovakia (Allegedly)
© Photo: OrbitalChiller
#35 They Think This Will Stop Us
© Photo: Axyon09
#36 Bike Desire Path In The Netherlands
© Photo: Papa_rainze
#37 Nobody Could Plan For This
© Photo: trailbob
#38 Who Would Want To Walk 200m Extra
© Photo: LarsMans
#39 Desire Paths Connecting A Suburban Neighborhood To The Strip Mall Next To It In The Mojave
© Photo: idapitbwidiuatabip
#40 You Can't Stop Them
© Photo: Ceramique_nl
#41 The Stray Cats Have Walked A Little Path In Our Backyard
© Photo: cucumbercoast
#42 Not Sure How To Feel About This One
© Photo: Tigga-tigga-tigga
#43 I Don't Think People Are Listening
© Photo: 98570
#44 People Walking On The Grass Because Of The Huge Uncomfortable "Gravel" Used
© Photo: Leestons
#45 I'm Pretty Sure The Homeowners Made This For Themselves
© Photo: Fluffy-Guava-4573
#46 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.
© Photo: Ankarim
#47 Humans: Invent Roads. Also Humans: Nah, I Forge My Own Destiny
© Photo: Zmiverse-Eth
#48 Two Different Desire Paths By Squirrels And Rats. The Park Is Covered By Them. I Think It’s Neat
© Photo: mirxa
#49 Desire Stairs
© Photo: InSearchOfTyrael
#50 Not Taking The Stairs
© Photo: KnifeKnut
#51 We’ve Been Betrayed
© Photo: ThatSirWaffles
#52 My Trusty Desire Path Is Under Attack. How To Proceed?
© Photo: Barbarenspiess
#53 Brussels University
© Photo: eating-pasta
#54 Why Only One When You Can Have Four?
© Photo: kapege
#55 Classic American No-Sidewalk Desire Path
© Photo: artofminde
#56 The People Have Spoken
© Photo: ILoveMyHoneybear
#57 Absolute Unit In Prague
© Photo: Tip-Important
#58 Desire Path In Dutch Is Elephant Path
© Photo: DevilDashAFM
#59 At The University I'm At They Decided To Fence Off A Path To Prevent People Going Up It
© Photo: pinheadlarry12345
#60 They Took Our Desire Path :(
© Photo: juleslikethejuul
#61 Golf Course Trying To Fight The Desire Path
© Photo: RainLollo
#62 Alternate Network
© Photo: Yarkm13
#63 Why Should I Go Left, If I Need To Go Right?
© Photo: eleask
#64 Because Walking Above The Path Is More Fun
© Photo: Pri-The-2nd
#65 Mushrooms Growing A Straight Line To The Sewer
© Photo: camstarrankin
#66 The Desire Path Is (Mostly) Official
© Photo: Outside-World9579
#67 Don't Know If It Counts As Desire Path, But It's Because A Weekly Fruit Stand
© Photo: DownDeep99
#68 Could This Be The Smallest One Ever ???
© Photo: No_Monitor_1182
#69 Wow! 🤩 Does This Count? A Paved Desire Path In Tirana, Albania
© Photo: KnifeKnut
#70 Coastal Desire Path
© Photo: Kitttycataclysmic
#71 Desire Path Blocked With Impermeable Barrier
© Photo: BlueHeron0_0
#72 Does This Count? My Neighbours Cat Likes This Shortcut
© Photo: Ok-Return7643
#73 A Triple!
© Photo: stxxyy
#74 I Used The Stairs, I Failed You All
© Photo: Palcikaman
#75 The Most Unnecessary Desire Path
© Photo: olr1997
#76 Some People Would Do Anything To Avoid Stairs
© Photo: Hazzy25
#77 Steep But Short
© Photo: Fast_Dealer_6462
#78 The Cones Tried And Failed
© Photo: Shorts365
#79 Shaving Those Valuable Seconds Off!
© Photo: Kolec507
#80 Little Delta Of Desirepath In Riga
© Photo: ku1ppana
#81 Wollongong, Australia
© Photo: Kitttycataclysmic
#82 Oh No They Blocked It
© Photo: nicol9
#83 The More Pointless, The Better!
© Photo: SG133722
#84 Shortcut To The Trailhead
© Photo: anotherindycarblog
#85 Snow Revealing My Greatest Desires
© Photo: Firebrill
#86 Short-Cutting The School Way
© Photo: Notdazedbutalright
#87 Desired Bike Path
© Photo: wolfi_der_wolf
#88 Compacted Snow Takes Longer To Melt, Revealing Most Commons Paths Across Plaza
© Photo: dnp3
#89 Red Harvester Ants Have Created A Desire Path In My Turf
© Photo: ayo4playdoh
#90 Cleveland State – The Snow Melts Slower On The Path
© Photo: Lufinator
#91 Quite The Shortcut From The Official Path
© Photo: MontePraMan
#92 Man Taking A Long Desire Path To Deliver Food In Dubai
© Photo: PixelatedName
#93 Desire Path?
© Photo: NovaElixir
#94 Corner Lawn
© Photo: pupupeepee
