Human recreational activities increase the stress levels of wildlife and lead to changes in the use of space such as avoidance of disturbed areas. Hiking is one of the most popular outdoor activities that frequently impact wildlife, and the number of tourists on hiking trails is consistently increasing. Therefore, the question arises as to how the presence of people on trails affects the use of space by wildlife. We tested the hypothesis that large numbers of hikers during the tourist season will deter wildlife from approaching trails. We used a pellet−group counting method to investigate how the number of tourists affects the two most common deer species (red deer and roe deer) near hiking trails in the mountain forests of the Bieszczady Mountains in Poland. Data was collected near hiking trails and forest roads as a control in the winter off−season and in spring after the start of the tourist season. For both species, a significant influence was found based on time of year, type of trail, and distance to the trail. However, spatial use and avoidance of trails differed. Red deer avoided trails up to a distance of 50 m during tourist season, while roe deer strongly avoided trails in winter. We conclude that cervids avoid tourist trails and that some factors, such as the number of people per day on these trails, may increase avoidance. The results suggest that a further increase in hiking in the mountains could lead to increased avoidance and thus a reduction in suitable habitat for cervids in mountain forests. Our results may help forest owners and managers to identify zones of human impact and keep human traffic away from important wildlife habitats.

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