How could a desire path lead to nowhere? The only way is if the destination ceased to be, or it's some milder human-level version of a death spiral, where people make it by repeatedly following the first person who didn't find it led anywhere and had to go back. And if it's used by dog walkers, the journey itself is the destination.
There was an abandoned house here, but the path was removed with the house, there is still some remains today on the other part of the terrain, but not enough to be a desired path
Just south of the Stade Jean Mermoz Rugby field in Rouen, France
From overhead you can see the north end of the desire path in May 2020, and on the November 2020 after street view after further demolition you can see where people have pushed through the fence and then gone through a break in a brick wall in the far background.
How could a desire path lead to nowhere? The only way is if the destination ceased to be, or it's some milder human-level version of a death spiral, where people make it by repeatedly following the first person who didn't find it led anywhere and had to go back. And if it's used by dog walkers, the journey itself is the destination.
There is a break in a wall that leads to the rugby field.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Stade+Jean+Mermoz+-+Rugby/@49.4317735,1.070989,3a,15y,356.35h,87.12t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAQtSUoOhso0yAJMoGeOZdA!2e0!5s20221101T000000!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D2.8777603914808765%26panoid%3DAQtSUoOhso0yAJMoGeOZdA%26yaw%3D356.34899989842336!7i16384!8i8192!4m6!3m5!1s0x47e0de0e4e3a8eb5:0xee9aa75db3ad183!8m2!3d49.4337744!4d1.0726962!16s%2Fg%2F11h4r89lgl?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTIwOS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
That doesn't look like topsoil. Maybe, it's an old constructed path.
There was an abandoned house here, but the path was removed with the house, there is still some remains today on the other part of the terrain, but not enough to be a desired path
In some places, if you dig 5cm under the grass you will hit gravel
That's a path
must be strong desire there, it even broke a fence
Just south of the Stade Jean Mermoz Rugby field in Rouen, France
From overhead you can see the north end of the desire path in May 2020, and on the November 2020 after street view after further demolition you can see where people have pushed through the fence and then gone through a break in a brick wall in the far background.
Latest overhead, March 2025 https://earth.google.com/web/search/Stade+Jean+Mermoz+-+Rugby/@49.43239944,1.07125909,6.82320665a,341.61472967d,35y,0h,0t,0r/data=CpkBGlkSUwokMHg0N2UwZGUwZTRlM2E4ZWI1OjB4ZWU5YWE3NWRiM2FkMTgzGcfrZuuFt0hAIROymH3DKfE_KhlTdGFkZSBKZWFuIE1lcm1veiAtIFJ1Z2J5GAEgASImCiQJdDOjG8bIQkARXjA8vLXIQkAZ_W__-3OUXsAhx5BczoWUXsAqEAgBEgoyMDI1LTAzLTE0GAFCAggBOgMKATBCAggASg0I____________ARAA
November 2022 street view https://www.google.com/maps/place/Stade+Jean+Mermoz+-+Rugby/@49.4317735,1.070989,3a,90y,334.98h,86.48t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAQtSUoOhso0yAJMoGeOZdA!2e0!5s20221101T000000!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D3.516548911577644%26panoid%3DAQtSUoOhso0yAJMoGeOZdA%26yaw%3D334.9765292838858!7i16384!8i8192!4m6!3m5!1s0x47e0de0e4e3a8eb5:0xee9aa75db3ad183!8m2!3d49.4337744!4d1.0726962!16s%2Fg%2F11h4r89lgl?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTIwOS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
Previously, in May 2020 you can see the north end of the desire path at the break in the brick wall when there was an alleyway. https://earth.google.com/web/search/Stade+Jean+Mermoz+-+Rugby/@49.43283091,1.0709677,6.53792044a,130.90611931d,35y,2.76853202h,0t,0r/data=CpkBGlkSUwokMHg0N2UwZGUwZTRlM2E4ZWI1OjB4ZWU5YWE3NWRiM2FkMTgzGcfrZuuFt0hAIROymH3DKfE_KhlTdGFkZSBKZWFuIE1lcm1veiAtIFJ1Z2J5GAEgASImCiQJdDOjG8bIQkARXjA8vLXIQkAZ_W__-3OUXsAhx5BczoWUXsAqEAgBEgoyMDIwLTA1LTI5GAFCAggBOgMKATBCAggASg0I____________ARAA
break in brick wall: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Stade+Jean+Mermoz+-+Rugby/@49.4317735,1.070989,3a,15y,356.35h,87.12t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAQtSUoOhso0yAJMoGeOZdA!2e0!5s20221101T000000!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D2.8777603914808765%26panoid%3DAQtSUoOhso0yAJMoGeOZdA%26yaw%3D356.34899989842336!7i16384!8i8192!4m6!3m5!1s0x47e0de0e4e3a8eb5:0xee9aa75db3ad183!8m2!3d49.4337744!4d1.0726962!16s%2Fg%2F11h4r89lgl?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTIwOS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
Amazing research job, I even didn't know the brick wall break, this explains a lot !
Desire paths often have a story to be told, and it is fun discovering that story.
Maybe it'll go to Narnia
That's totally a place teenagers would get up to no good in. Probably people go for a run also.
Are you sure it leads to nowhere? You didn’t mention ever walking it
In fact it leads to a break in the brick wall surrounding the rugby stadium.
It is a 800m shortcut at least