Abstract
Wilderness areas are protected and valued in part for recreation; recreational use, however, can negatively impact these areas. In particular, recreational use can facilitate transport of non‐native propagules and create open sites for establishment of non‐native species. We examined the role of recreational portage trails in the introduction and establishment of non‐native plants into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness of northern Minnesota (U.S.A.). On 20 portages, we sampled non‐native plant richness and cover at four distances (0, 10, 25, and 50 m) from trails. Non‐native richness and cover were not related to distance from wilderness entry point. Non‐native richness and cover were, however, negatively related to distance from trails. All six non‐native species we observed were either directly on or within 1 m of trails. These results suggest that recreational trails act as corridors facilitating invasions of non‐native plants into wilderness areas. It remains unclear, however, whether these effects are caused by dispersal of propagules, creation of bare ground, or changes in the native plant community.