This is a collection of unlikely things encountered on hiking trails.  Locations are in California unless otherwise specified.
 

Remains of a railroad trestle near Tamaroo Bar, Auburn

The Sword in the Stone at Lake Angela, near Old Donner Summit

On the Shirland Canal Trail, Auburn  {cut down in 2022}

On a car window in Escalante, Utah

At the Murphy Gate on SR-49 near Auburn

Valentine message in the South Yuba River near Bridgeport

Unlikely rock mosaic on the Salmon Lake Trail, Tahoe NF

Llamas in training on the Pacific Crest Trail near Carson Pass

In Capitol Gorge, Capitol Reef NP, Utah

Circumhorizon arc (ice halo) over Round Top, Mokelumne Wilderness

Miwok flag on the Mono Pass Trail, Yosemite NP

An unusual location for a nest in Zion NP

Car window sticker at the Grouse Lakes Trailhead, Tahoe NF

The Purple People Eater terrorizes hikers at Emerald Pools, Zion NP

The Wapama Falls Footbridge in Yosemite is a camera-killer

An inspiring message at the Lake Sabrina Trailhead

Treed bear cub in Crescent Meadow, Sequoia NP

Mellowing out on the Peek-a-Boo Loop, Bryce Canyon NP, Utah

Contrails clutter the sky above Ellis Peak, near Lake Tahoe

This flag on Ebbetts Peak, Mokelumne Wilderness, has electric lighting

The now-defunct Hayduke Library at Cronan Ranch, near the American River

Construction tramway to Agnew Lake, Ansel Adams Wilderness

Mating Grasshoppers on Mount Eddy, Shasta-Trinity NF

Backpackers with lawn chairs on the John Muir Trail, Yosemite NP

Hang gliding near the Cerro Piltriquitrón Trailhead, Argentina

The Catalonian flag at Torres del Paine NP, Chile

Friendly tabby on the Huemul Glacier Overlook Trail, Argentina

Vernal Fall inside a tree on the Panorama Trail, Yosemite NP

An unlikely water spout near the summit of Red Peak, Mokelumne Wilderness

A banged-up human at the Lofty Lake Trailhead, Uinta Mountains, Utah

Three women on the Medicine Bow Peak Trail in Wyoming, who actually sent an email

Solar-powered water supply for trail workers at Upper Cathedral Lake, Yosemite NP

Solo climber atop Cathedral Peak, Yosemite NP    ⇔

Directions to White Mountain Peak at Barcroft Station, White Mountains

Propane tank cover near Scout Carson Lake, Eldorado NF

Marmot-deterrent wire at the Kokanee Lake Trailhead, British Columbia

Unhappy with the air quality at Monarch Lakes, Sequoia NP

Armada of floating potties at Lake Clementine, near Auburn

This fence doesn't do much at Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, Utah

Trapped inside a rock at Upper Muley Twist Canyon, Capitol Reef NP, Utah

Atop The Corkscrew at Fisher Towers east of Moab, Utah

Off-roading in Pritchett Canyon near Moab, Utah

Getting around the Devils Garden in Arches NP, Utah

Avoiding the sun on the Pacific Crest Trail near Ebbetts Pass

Railroad memorabilia on the Western States Trail near Auburn    ⇔

At the Monte Piana WWI Outdoor Museum Trailhead, Dolomite Mountains, Italy

Woodcarving on Rasciesa Ridge, Dolomite Mountains, Italy

Carved water troughs on the Val Ciamin Trail, Dolomite Mountains, Italy

Not what one would hope to see in the Virgin River Narrows of Zion NP, Utah

Lunch is waiting for Yours Truly at The Wave, Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona

Christmas in January on the Pointed Rocks Trail near Auburn

Yarn art on the Western States Trail near Auburn

Unusual trail access at Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve near Winters

A stern directive at the head of Tenaya Canyon, Yosemite NP

Heartfelt message at Lukens Lake, Yosemite NP

Unlikely tattoos on the Rob Roy Glacier Trail, New Zealand

An exquisite seashell collection on the Haast River, New Zealand

Spreading good cheer on the Hooker Valley Trail, New Zealand

Sadistic humor on the Mueller Hut Trail, New Zealand

River rock art on the Routeburn Track, New Zealand

A Turquoise-Crested Humanoid on the Milford Track, New Zealand

A lovely reminder at the Elowah Falls Trailhead, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

Amish Women "hikers" in Fern Canyon, Prairie Creek Redwoods SP

The ugliest thing in the High Sierra, on the Nunatak Nature Trail near Tioga Pass

At the Snowgrass Flats Trailhead, Goat Rocks Wilderness, Washington

Inspiring message at the Visitor Center, Zion NP, Utah

Sandbar art at Tamaroo Bar, on the North Fork American River near Auburn

On the Dean Ranch in the Sutter Buttes near Yuba City

On the Musch Trail, Topanga Canyon State Park

On the Feather Falls Trail east of Oroville

Shouldering the load unsupervised at Lake Genevieve, Desolation Wilderness

Someone else also likes snowplants near Caples Creek, Eldorado National Forest

Narrowly avoiding disaster on Mount Watkins, Yosemite National Park

A great gift on the Winnemucca Lake Trail, Mokelumne Wilderness

Doggie discipline on the Dipsea Trail, Marin County

Snake skin at Shealor Lakes, Eldorado National Forest

A laid-back residence on the Dipsea Trail staircase, Marin County

Something is watching in Sand Cave near Kanab, Utah

Something else is watching in Buckskin Gulch east of Kanab, Utah

Heartfelt tributes at Hidden Falls Regional Park near Auburn

We know what they like at the Rubicon Peak trailhead, Lake Tahoe