InstaFame, 14644 Lake Poway Rd, Poway, CA (2026)

11/15/2020

When a pringle-shaped ledge makes for the perfect photo op.//

Those who approach the summit of southern California’s Mount Woodson will be rewarded with an unexpected geological surprise. The bizarre rock formation of Potato Chip Rock near the city of Ramona, California appears to be the result of a colossal giant dropping his can of Pringles, and it makes for the perfect photo op.

Potato Chip Rock is a thin ledge jutting off of a cliff on the Mount Woodson Trail which stretches eight miles (2-3hours) through the dry landscape. Those who are brave enough to walk across the ledge will appear to levitate above the ground below, as if on a magic carpet made of stone.
Naturally, hundreds of creative photos have been taken atop the rock. A new Instagram craze has thousands replicating the scene of Simba’s birth in The Lion King, while others have attempted extreme yoga positions. Daredevils have hung off the rock’s edge by their bare hands, jokesters have ironically eaten a bag of Lays on the rock, and the ledge has even been the site of a marriage proposal.

More recently, the craze of social media will now see you waiting for at least an hour or more to get your own social media trophy image on weekends.

To get to the Potato Chip, you have to jump from one boulder to another. Many reporting that as the most scary part, but additionally when other people were jumping onto it, and out on the edge you can feel the vibrations shift through the rock. It is here that the most injuries have occurred.

Every time people mentioned the hike and potato chip rock, they described it as a massively scary ledge with huge drop offs, but it was nothing more than a perspective shot. A fall off the rock is only approx. 20 feet despite photos appearing to be thousands of feet.

10/23/2020

Edge of Reason//

Nestled in the heart of the Grampians National Park, Halls Gap is a delightful small village with a range of activities at your doorstep. The area is renowned for spectacular hiking, stunning views and inquisitive wildlife including kangaroos, emus, wallabies and birds.

A recent report from the Stawell Times reported that in 2018 the Grampians continues to surge as a popular tourist destination with a 25.8 per cent increase on the year before. News of which is welcomed by small country towns dependant on tourism.

For visitors, the lure of the picturesque views from cliffs across the valleys makes the attraction of trophy images and selfies too much of an attraction. Despite warnings of unstable cliffs, many climb barriers to get the images they have seen online and disregard signage advising of no swimming to swim amongst the cascading waterfalls.

The remoteness of the Grampians National Park also makes phone reception an issue, with many criticising the lack of cellular coverage to report injuries, including in January 2018, the tragic death of a tourist at the base of MacKenzies Falls after a person drowned swimming close to the falls.

10/10/2020

Banff National Park needs holiday from humans //
The liquid candy-like turquoise waters of the picturesque lakes in the Banff National Park are entrancing millions of visitors from around the world each year.
By 8:30 a.m., parking at Lake Louise was full, in fact on weekends the lake has reaches capacity by 6.00am.
Banff National Park is simply being loved to death!
Banff National Park has a problem as a whole in that it’s bursting at the seams. Around the lakes it’s like watching an anthill. Is it time to seriously consider tightly controlling and even capping the number of visitors to certain popular sites?
2019’s visitor figures for Banff are a full two-thirds greater than the 3.15 million that showed up in 2010-11, when the park management plan was crafted.
How many people visiting the park is too many is a question locals are constantly assessing. Last year, in response to larger throngs attracted by the Canada 150 free entry pass, Parks Canada launched a free shuttle service to Lake Louise from the overflow lot five kilometres east of the town. Reducing the number of private vehicles in the park and at attractions is fine, but it doesn’t lessen the number of visitors and the strain they place on its infrastructure and environment.
“We’ve reached the carrying capacity not only from an ecological point of view but from a pleasure of experience standpoint,” Says local business owner Dan Morris.
2020 will see the Parks Canada review the Park Management Plan.

09/10/2020

𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘀 //

In the hinterland of the Great Otway National Park, you’ll find fern-lined gullies and tranquil lakes, hear the sound of trickling streams, cascading waterfalls and feel dwarfed by the ancient forest giants. Nature is king in the Great Otway National Park.

But this sanctuary is increasingly threatened. The tranquil rainforest has been set upon by thousands of rogue tour operators, whose boutique Instagram selfie tour are bringing more and more aspiring Instagrammers to the area in search of their own version of popular selfie compositions.

Whilst documenting Hopetoun Falls, we witnessed more than half a dozen “Instagram tour groups” come through the area, (WeChat and MeetUp Apps). Over the past few years the paths have become wider and wider and they zig-zag throughout and unfortunately in some areas the ferns are becoming thinner and in a number of spots no existent. On one visit to document this, we witnessed an “Instagram” tour snap ferns to better their compositions and even push two 2m tree ferns into the river to create a “unique” shot.

A Parks Victoria spokesperson said the issue is not unique and the agency is concerned with “people taking risks with their safety and damaging the environment for a photo”.

It is human nature that is the greatest threat to this beautiful tranquil location. Can ignorance be an excuse, or is our overwhelming desire to destroy things?

Environmental destruction is at the heart of the issues facing the Great Otway National Park, but in our opinion, we need to invest more money into infrastructure to reduce visitor impact and spread the message of "tread lightly and leave no trace".

09/09/2020

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 ‘𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗻’ //

Oregon's Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area is particularly striking part of the US. And teetering over the edge of a cliff facing the Oregon coast, a sandstone rock formation dubbed the "Duckbill" (some say its profile resembles the beak, or "bill" of a duck), had attracted many an intrepid photographer over the years.

The rock, a narrow column topped by a huge pedestal, had stood on the cliff's edge for hundreds of years. But when parks officials found the structure smashed to thousands of pieces, they concluded that it had succumbed to the elements. Died a natural death, if you will.

But a video, soon after surfaced that appeared to tell a different story.

The footage was captured by David Kalas, who was filming with his friend when he saw a group of 8 people heading towards Duckbill. After a few minutes of them pushing on the rock they saw it topple, destroying it. When asked why? “they said that one of their friends had broken their leg on the rock and they were destroying it so that no one else would get hurt.”

But is this sort of behaviour a modern curse resulting from the quest for the perfect social media trophy photograph?

"I can't help but think we are all part of the problem. The way photos spread through Instagram and Facebook is great and a lot of good can come of it but then things like this happen. I've always been an advocate for tagging places and sharing locations so everyone can enjoy them but not anymore." A trend that is growing amongst many photographers .

Police are still investigating.

09/08/2020

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗸𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗲 //

For years, Kanarra Falls was one of Southern Utah’s best-kept secrets. The hidden hike leading to a slot canyon waterfall was seemingly reserved for residents of the small town of Kanarraville.

But in the age of social media the natural wonder turned into a big problem for the locals. The popularity of the 4.8 mile hike exploded on social media, in particular Instagram, and those that wanted to create trophy images and re-create those of influencers. What used to be a treasure become a nightmare for local residents.

The influx of visitors and hikers left the small community of 350 faced with many difficulties they would have never known otherwise, including parking problems and fears of contamination of the towns primary water source. Whilst the community managed to deal with whatever challenges that have been thrown their way, the issues with parking and safety (whilst concerning) were all second to their primary concern – their water.

It has been difficult to determine where exactly the spring draws its flow from. As hikers walk through the town’s water supply, they may be exposing their water source to a multitude of contaminants. The risk of contamination increases when visitors urinate or defecate in or near the water.

In 2019, Kanarraville implemented a permit system limiting what was once more than 2000 visitors per day to 150. A $12 permit would be used to upkeep the trail, hiring permanent staff, education about leaving no trace, and discouraging people from bringing dogs. However the system was met with widespread condemnation.

“In general, most people want to do the right thing, especially hikers whose enjoyment of the experience depends on keeping up the environment, and I think once people are educated that the canyon is a 365-day-a-year source of water for the town, hopefully visitors will do whatever they can to protect it.”

06/30/2020

𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀//

Not even a nationwide lockdown could stop England's Instagrammers from flocking to a former toxic limestone quarry in Harpur Hill, whose bright blue waters have earned it the nickname, "Blue Lagoon.”

The quarry, popular with swimmers that are seemingly undeterred by water that has a PH value similar to bleach and contains potentially harmful chemicals for humans. During the coronavirus lockdown, the site had become increasingly more popular with thousands flocking to the site. Locals complained of rubbish being dumped and of visitors urinating in gardens at the nearby church yard.

So on the 28th May 2020, police did what they had to do to stop visitors from coming. Local authorities poured black dye into the stunning Blue Lagoon in an effort to try and stop visitors flooding to the tourist attraction during the coronavirus pandemic. But the visitors kept coming.

Last week, June 16th 2020, angry locals took matters into their own hands and were up at dawn to spread the first layer of slurry around the former lime quarry.

Signs saying "Careful pig / cow slurry has been spread" have been installed in the area. The foul smelling mixture of pig and cow excrement is reportedly the first of three coatings that the farmers plan to spread at the spot. Farmers renamed the area "poo lagoon" on a local page as they warned visitors away.

Locals have said that "Action has been taken after a huge amount of visitors trespassing and travelling from all over the country to see the quarry, also an allegedly illegal rave was planned for this weekend. "And with locals receiving abuse and continued drug use, and visitors also leaving huge amounts of litter residents [we] have had enough. Welcome to the Poo Lagoon."

Local councillor has said, “It's not going to damage the environment but hopefully it'll act as a bit of a deterrent. But, in the long-term, we are going to have to move forward with doing something like fencing because we can't let the problem continue like this - both for the public's safety and for the residents."

05/31/2020

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮-𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗹 //

Nestled amongst the foothills of Mount Wellington, Hobart combines heritage charm with a modern lifestyle in a setting of exceptional beauty. Although protected as a reserve, rather than a National Park, Wellington Park contains a wealth of wilderness right on Hobart's doorstep. Kunyani/Mount Wellington (incorporating its Palawa kani name) majestically towers 1,271 metres above the city.

A few years ago some photographers exploring sections of Mount Wellington found a waterfall, unnamed and unrecorded. It became known as ‘Secret Falls’. Just three years on, it’s now Hobart’s worst kept secret.

The name Secret Falls has proved alluring. A mission and conquest for photographers, images of the location now flood Instagram. Unfortunately, its sudden popularity led to the site being degraded. There are now very worn, clearly marked paths to and from the falls. Dramatic changes can be seen in the landscape and topography of this beautiful, no longer hidden spot.

The question becomes: how can we curb the flow and prevent other locations dying a similar death?

05/28/2020

𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗙𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗧𝗼 𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗧𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗘𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗿𝘂𝘀 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳𝗶𝗲 //

A woman fell 40 meters to her death while posing near the edge of a cliff for a photo to celebrate the end of a coronavirus lockdown. The woman was killed at the popular Duden Park in the city of Antalya, Turkey, last week.

It is a spot loved by tourists who describe it as the “perfect place to take selfies”.

She and a friend reportedly went for a walk at the site, known for its dramatic scenery and waterfalls, following the end of a stay-at-home order in the city.

During the walk, the 35year old climbed over a safety fence to pose for a photograph with the park’s waterfalls in the background. While posing for the picture, she tragically slipped on the grass and fell 40 metres (115 feet) down the cliff to her death.

The location is well known and tourists flock to the Duden Park cliffs edge for photos and selfies.

Visitors can be seen taking selfies next to and with a sign that that reads, "It is dangerous and forbidden to approach the railings" in Turkish. However, locals said that they should have more warning signs installed in English and Russian.

Cases like this remind us that no photo is worth risking our lives. And we believe that in the “stay safe” mantra. With multiple lookouts located at Duden Park, you don't need to climb the barriers to get a great shot.

05/24/2020

𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀, 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 //

Driving along the Great Ocean Road is an adventure itself by getting up close to native wildlife, taking in iconic surf breaks, pristine rainforest and misty waterfalls as you go. With the view of the towering 12 Apostles in the horizon it is safe to say that the route is one of the world’s most breath taking scenic coastal drives.

Between Torquay and Warrnambool, the Great Ocean Road is becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations in Australia, wooing over 4 million visitors a year.

With the influx of people comes mounting pressures on the Great Ocean Road with activities like photography and the desire to carbon copy images from those before them. Visitors and tourists climbing safety barriers to get closer to the unstable cliff edges and forging paths through native grasslands to the sandstone cliff faces has led to the destruction of many sites, but also led to serious injuries and deaths in more recent years.

“There are paths appearing that weren’t there a few years ago. All the native grasses, foliage and bushes that used to be there has now just been torn out because people just don’t respect the area, and the foot traffic that we’ve caused. Everyone’s chasing their own unique compositions which leads to the whole area being destroyed.”

With the Twelve Apostles being a National Park and Marine Park, drones are strictly not permitted, however UAVs have been increasingly been flown illegally throughout the park. In attempts to escape fines and detection, UAVs are been launched from the highway adding to ongoing traffic congestion. If convicted, individuals can be convicted and fined up to $10,500.

It appears that the act of a selfie has gone above and beyond people’s ability to judge their own safety. There are signs everywhere warning “Danger, unstable cliffs” with pictures of people falling over or cliffs with big lines through it. That coastline is all made up of soft sandstone which is easily erodible, that’s how we get the formations of the Twelve Apostles in the first place.

05/14/2020

𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘁𝘀 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗿𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆-𝗮𝘁-𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 //

The coronavirus pandemic hasn’t thwarted Mother Nature’s springtime show in the California, where rolling hillsides are blanketed in a fiery orange hue from the recent poppy blooms.

However amid coronavirus concerns, and a stay-at-home order, all trails throughout the poppy-filled fields are closed and there is no parking in surrounding areas. Officials have setup road blocks, posted no parking signs to stop the crowds, but some people even resorted to parking along the interstate to walk the trails.

Visitors have been seen dancing, running and posing for photos amongst the sea of flowers. The nature reserve, which frequently draws swarms of people from across California, landed on the state’s list of closures amid the pandemic over fears that people would be unable to social distance on the tight trails.

A wet winter in 2019 resulted in an epic super-bloom that attracted hundreds of thousands to the hillsides of golden poppies. The interest was so significant that Lake Elsinore temporary closed access to the popular poppy fields in Walker Canyon after flower fanatics invaded the region, causing gridlock and traffic jams that overwhelmed the city.

Officials from the area fear they don’t have enough resources during this COVID-19 pandemic to be able to manage an influx of visitors this year. Last year, was beautiful and the super-bloom display of flowers were amazing, but the crowds were far beyond what the city had resources to handle.

During the pandemic, the city worked to place a camera in the fields where flowers are blooming to give all enthusiasts a chance to check them out from home. But unfortunately visitors broke the coronavirus order and visited the region anyway.

03/24/2020

𝗜𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼? //

A woman tragically fell to her death from the Grand Canyon in 2016. While many headlines claimed she was taking a selfie when it happened, in fact she was politely squeezing out of the way for someone to pass by and stumbled over the side of the trail.

But...many other people take risky photos while at the landmark though, including this man who was caught and videoed by someone behind the barrier.

Source: A. Starke

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