Oddly enough, I've found that (at least in Ohio), telling others about trails and getting them out on those trails has had the consequence of: more trails!

When I started backpacking in the early 80s, I had to drive three hours to Kentucky to get to any backpacking trails. Then I discovered there were one or two places, three hours away in southeastern Ohio, where you could backpack for a night.

I always told people about the places I went, and started going to southeast Ohio more frequently. I took people with me on beginner trips, and then started "simulating" trips closer to home, in the off seasons at local state parks.

And now, 30+ years later, there are two 35 mile backpacking trails within 15 miles of my front door - and they both see a lot of use. We've even got the Metropark system putting on events for backpackers (including beginner overnights and presentations by people like the executive director of the Appalachian Trail Conference, as well as local backpackers. They're also starting to study the feasibility of connector trails from the backpacking trail to other MetroParks with trail systems - and the backcountry sites on the existing trails are booked pretty full most weekends.

At least around here, the more people I can get out on the trails, the more trails there will be for me. I kind of like how that's worked out!