origin: German (gender: masculine); trampeln = “to trample” + Pfad = “path”.
noun (plural)
As Robert Frost would've put it - "the road less traveled".
Trampelpfad is a charming descriptive for an unpaved, informal road or path -- in a previously pathless location -- created by frequent enough use to beat down the dirt and grass.
I can recall seeing many trampelpfads as a child, when the path suggested made less sense than a shortcut: parks, schools, playgrounds, forests, etc. They can be created by animals or people.