Hitchhiking

[bigcranky]

I'm an older male and when I hitch it's either solo, with my spouse, or with my (older male) hiking partner. I really don't see enough differences to make some sort of rule -- it can take 2 minutes or an hour. More depends on how busy the road is -- it needs to have a fair amount of traffic but not so much that it's hard for people to stop. And then, as noted above, be careful where you stand with your thumb out (at the beginning of a safe turnout is best) and make eye contact with the drivers.

[fiddlehead]

Do they arrest you?
Or just tell you to stop.
I thought Wyoming was the only state that outlawed it.
Go figure.
3 hiking states banning it.
What's next?

[SoaknWet]

Ultralight packable scooters!

[Coffee]

Do they arrest you?Or just tell you to stop. I thought Wyoming was the only state that outlawed it. Go figure. 3 hiking states banning it. What's next?

It is at least frowned upon in most national parks as well. I was hitching near Tuolumne in September and had my thumb out at an approaching SUV. Realized it was a ranger too late ... he stopped and gave me a ride to the eastern border of the park and advised that I stand outside the park gate to hitch another ride to Lee Vining. Maybe hitching at a truck stop on the NJ turnpike would result in different problems but interpretation varies ...

[orthofingers]

In NH I believe hikers can ride in the back of my truck without seatbelts but dogs need to be restrained.

That's another reason to like New Hampshire.

i hitchhiked a lot when I was in the Air Force (from Washington, D.C.. to upstate NY several times in winter). I made and carried with me, a couple of signs that said "North, South, East, West" and never waited for more than ten or fifteen minutes. The signs helped. Of course, back then (Vietnam era), I dressed in my Air Force uniform which was a double edged sword. Either you got spit at (it happened more than once), or you got a ride because they felt sorry for you.

i do have to chuckle how much times have changed with regard to military service. These days if people find out that I was in the Air Force years ago, they fall over themselves thanking me for my service.

[Slo-go'en]

I meet a guy who got a ticket for "occupying space" by an Ohio State Police trooper. He showed me the ticket. He was hitching at an entrance ramp to the interstate which got him in trouble.

I spent a summer in Yellowstone and hitched around the park a lot. Mostly got rides from park employees. Even one of the tour buses. Best ride was with a Korean family doing a tour of the US "before going home forever" after working here for a couple of years on some job. I played tour guide for the duration of the ride from Mammoth Springs to Old Faithfull. But this was way back in 1985.

[Malto]

I meet a guy who got a ticket for "occupying space" by an Ohio State Police trooper. He showed me the ticket. He was hitching at an entrance ramp to the interstate which got him in trouble.

I spent a summer in Yellowstone and hitched around the park a lot. Mostly got rides from park employees. Even one of the tour buses. Best ride was with a Korean family doing a tour of the US "before going home forever" after working here for a couple of years on some job. I played tour guide for the duration of the ride from Mammoth Springs to Old Faithfull. But this was way back in 1985.

We hitched around almost the entire loop at Yellowstone and we're adopted by a tourist couple. Ended up being a great afternoon and evening.

[HooKooDooKu]

It is at least frowned upon in most national parks as well.

The Code of Federal Regulations for National Parks (Title 36 section 4.31) states

Hitchhiking or soliciting transportation is prohibited except in designated areas and under conditions established by the superintendent.

I know the Compendium or Rules and Regulations for GSMNP has carved out an exception to this law "for the purpose of hiking a park trail".
Off hand, I don't know what other national parks have also carved out exceptions.

[Another Kevin]

NY has no state law against hitchhiking, but all five counties that the AT goes through have local ordinances mostly forbidding it.

The last time I hitched in NY, it was way up in the Adirondacks (only a couple of miles to town, and I'd already started hiking them, but thought I'd put out my thumb perfunctorily). First driver returned my thumb with his finger. Second driver gave me a lift straight to a motel

It doesn't count as hitchhiking, exactly, quite, but once I managed to yogi a ride from John Burroughs's great-granddaughter.

In busier areas, it's often pretty easy to get a lift from day-trippers at the same trailhead. They're often going right by the town you're going to, anyway. (Of course, I try to pay that one forward - I do enough day and weekend trips myself, when I'm happy to give a lift to as many hikers as will fit.)

[Hikemor]

I also recommend a sign.

It seems that tradespeople or fellow outdoors enthusiasts are most likely to stop. However, hitched a ride with a guy whose Subaru was, like, two weeks old. I think he picked me up just to show off the car! You never know.

[Berserker]

In my somewhat limited experience (being a section hiker I don't go into town too often) every time I've started to walk down a road I've been offered a ride. For disclosure I'm a 6'-5", 195 lb, bald male...not a pretty young lady. So I'd agree with everyone else in that it seems to be fairly easy to get a ride most of the time.

Oh yeah, and I'm one of those guys that gives hikers rides if they happen to be in the parking lot when I'm either parking my car to start or getting to the lot at the end of a hike. Maybe I've been getting some good karma from the "pay it forward" method

[Bronk]

On the AT I've only rarely had to stick out my thumb...more often than not someone offered me a ride before I got around to it. When you get to a road, take off your pack (but leave it visible) and take a few minutes to go over your trail guide/data book/trail journal, etc, etc. Have a snack, drink some water. If you are milling around at a trail head you will be offered a ride most of the time. Lots of locals know you are a hiker and not a vagrant and give hikers rides all the time. This is not the same as thumbing your way across the country and people that live near the trail know that.

[ScottTrip]

Do they arrest you?
Or just tell you to stop.
I thought Wyoming was the only state that outlawed it.
Go figure.
3 hiking states banning it.
What's next?

I had only one policeman say anything (In NY I believe) he said just be careful with traffic. Not me, but a fellow hiker said that a local policeman gave him a ride into town. I really don't think they will give you much trouble.... Like I said before, they know you are hiking the AT and need to get to town.

[jj dont play]

On my NOBO I didn't have to hitch until Great Barrington,Mass. And I think I ended up with a total of 6 hitches counting leaving Baxter. So pending mileage and how much you want to go in town you really don't have to hitch much. Most of the time I was lucky got to a road to see someone dropping off hikers, ran over there to see if they could take me back in to town.
Lot of older guys would hold out a $5 bill, said it worked well and most of the time people wouldn't take the $


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