On Trails is a wandering tale that blends hiking, science, and history | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyNotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.NotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.On Trails is a wandering tale that blends hiking, science, and historyNotificationsNotificationsComments DrawerNotificationsCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...EntertainmentCloseEntertainmentPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All EntertainmentColumnCloseColumnPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ColumnScienceCloseSciencePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ScienceOn Trails is a wandering tale that blends hiking, science, and historyFrom ants to colonization to the internet, Robert Moor looks at how trails touch every part of life.From ants to colonization to the internet, Robert Moor looks at how trails touch every part of life.by Terrence O'BrienCloseTerrence O'BrienWeekend EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Terrence O'BrienMay 24, 2026, 3:15 PM UTCLinkShareGiftIf you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.Image: Simon & SchusterPart OfWhat we’re listening to, watching, and reading right now.see all updates Terrence O'BrienCloseTerrence O'BrienPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Terrence O'Brien is the Verge’s weekend editor. He has over 18 years of experience, including 10 years as managing editor at Engadget.Hiking is one of life’s great joys. Turning off the screens and stepping out into nature for an extended period of time, perhaps even several days, is rejuvenating. Unfortunately, as someone with two young kids and a bad back, I’m not really able to go backpacking anymore. So I often find myself trying to live vicariously through others who write about their lengthy travails along the Appalachian or the PCT. That’s what I thought I was signing up for when I picked up On Trails: An Exploration by Robert Moor. But it turned out to be so much more.The prologue starts with Moor talking about his decision to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. And chapter one doesn’t stray too far from the expected subject matter either. It focuses primarily on Moor’s trip to Western Brook Pond in Newfoundland and broadly discusses the concept of wilderness.His talents as a writer are apparent from moment one. A storm pins Moor down on a ridge:For the better part of an hour, awash in mounting waves of tympanic rumble, I had time to reconsider the merits of hiking. Stripped of its Romantic finery, the wild ceased to inspire; only a gauzy scrim separated sublimity and horror.This is perhaps the first hint that what you’re in for is not some travelogue or a simple memoir that uses the trail as a narrative device. Chapter two immediately solidifies this, launching a discussion of ant trails and the fine distinctions of various English words for lines of movement.On Trails bounces around gleefully from topic to topic: Game trails, fiber optic wires, Moor’s stint as a shepherd. And all throughout, Moor seamlessly navigates shifting tones. One moment, he’s waxing poetic about the power of nature, the next, he’s spinning an anecdote about misplacing an entire flock of sheep with a comic’s sense of pacing, then turning philosophical about the damage done by colonialism.It’s a testament to Moor’s skill that the book not only manages to be compulsively readable, but never feels disjointed as he swings wildly from exploring a proto-internet envisioned by engineer Vannevar Bush in 1945, to quoting poet Gary Snyder.On Trails starts with a simple idea: how did the Appalachian Trail, or any hiking trail for that matter, form? And from there it branches off endlessly into a thousand different tributaries, exploring how the very concept of trails can help us understand the world.On Trails is available on most ebook stores, but I highly recommend you buy a physical copy at your local independent bookshop or support your local library.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Terrence O'BrienCloseTerrence O'BrienWeekend EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Terrence O'BrienBook ReviewCloseBook ReviewPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All Book ReviewBooksCloseBooksPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All BooksColumnCloseColumnPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ColumnEntertainmentCloseEntertainmentPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All EntertainmentScienceCloseSciencePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ScienceMore in: What we’re listening to, watching, and reading right now.Oddity is masterfully tense horror from the director of HokumTerrence O'BrienMay 17Ashnymph’s Childhood EP is exhilarating dance goth rockTerrence O'BrienMay 10Oh, hey, it’s Bandcamp Friday again.Terrence O'BrienMay 1Most PopularMost PopularGoogle’s new anything-to-anything AI model is wildI have a new go-to browserIf I could only have one laptop for work and gaming, I’d get this oneThe man behind the legendary MPC, Roger Linn, stays focused with a single browser tabMicrosoft starts canceling Claude Code licensesThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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On Trails is a narrative that intricately merges the themes of hiking, science, and history, exploring the pervasive influence of trails on all facets of human existence, tracing connections from the emergence of ants through to colonization and the development of the internet. Robert Moor investigates how the concept of a trail functions as a lens through which to understand the world. The book delves into various examples, such as game trails, fiber optic wires, and Moor’s experiences as a shepherd, demonstrating the universal relevance of pathways.

The work is characterized by Robert Moor's remarkable ability to shift between tones, seamlessly moving from poetic reflections on the power of nature to anecdotal storytelling, and from philosophical musings on colonialism to discussions of technological and historical developments. This fluid structure allows the text to transition between disparate subjects, ranging from exploring the proto-internet envisioned by Vannevar Bush in 1945 to quoting poets like Gary Snyder, all while maintaining a cohesive narrative centered on the genesis and meaning of trails. The book fundamentally branches out from a simple premise—how hiking trails form—to explore a thousand different tributaries that illuminate how the very concept of a trail can contribute to our understanding of reality.

The execution of the book is noted for its compelling readability and lack of disjointedness, which speaks to Moor’s profound writing skill. The text manages to weave together seemingly unrelated concepts into a comprehensive exploration of how trails inform our perception of the world, providing a complex framework for intellectual engagement. This approach allows the exploration of the sublime and the frightening aspects of the wilderness by juxtaposing natural observation with historical and scientific context.