trail
n. countablen. a path through the countryside or a forest, often made by people walking. It can also be a series of marks or signs left behind by someone or something.
n. a path or track through a wild or rural area; alternatively, a series of signs or objects left behind by a moving person, animal, or vehicle.
We followed the mountain trail for three hours.
The hikers stayed on the marked trail to avoid getting lost in the dense forest.
Detectives discovered a trail of digital footprints that eventually led them to the suspect's hidden server in another country.
From Middle English trailen, from Old French trailler (“to tow; pick up the scent of a quarry”), from Vulgar Latin *tragulāre (“to drag”), from Latin tragula (“dragnet, javelin thrown by a strap”), probably related to Latin trahere (“to pull, drag along”).
Often used with the verb 'follow' or 'leave'.