Leave no trace
Keep it clean. Keep it wild.
We go to nature to unwind, spend time in beautiful spaces, and seek adventure. Doing so depends on arriving at a place where human impacts are minimal and ecosystems are intact. Thankfully, keeping areas clean and pristine is easy if everyone does their part. By following these simple principles, you’ll keep wildlife safe and allow others to enjoy the forest when they visit.
Pack it in, pack it out
Pack out all your trash
Don’t bury trash, it will be dug up by wildlife. People often try to burn refuse so that they don’t have to take it with them. Many items don’t burn completely, posing a danger to wildlife and leaving work for the next visitor.
Inspect your campsite
When you’re all packed up, do a couple of walkarounds. Look for food spillage, micro-trash, and any items that may have been inadvertently left behind. It’s a good way to make sure that you retain all your tent stakes as well.
Never leave items behind
Have an old camp chair you’re looking to replace or a cooler that isn’t quite performing up to standard? Don’t leave them for the next campers—they’ll likely feel the same way. Take them with you and recycle them or dispose of them at your local landfill.
Leave no trace
In the backcountry and wilderness area, we have the opportunity to experience nature in its truest essence, free of most human-caused impacts. Because of this, it’s critically important that when we visit these spaces, we leave as little evidence of our visit as possible. The leave no trace ethic is comprised of seven principles intended benefit landscapes, wildlife, and humans seeking nature in its purest form.
Plan ahead & prepare
- Look up regulations before you visit an area.
- Repackage food to minimize waste.
- Use a map and compass to reduce cairn use and marking areas.
Travel & camp on durable surfaces
- Look for and utilize areas where previous visitors have camped.
- Camp at least 200 feet from lakes and streams to protect riparian areas.
- In no previous fire ring is available, scatter yours when you leave the area.
Dispose of waste properly
- Pack it in, pack it out.
- Dig catholes 6–8 inches deep, a minimum of 200 feet from water, and cover when done.
- Use biodegradable soap and scatter strained dishwater away from campsites.
Leave what you find
- Examine, but do not touch cultural or historic structures and artifacts.
- Avoid introducing or transporting nonnative species.
- Do not build structures, furniture, or dig trenches.
Minimize campfire impacts
- Where fires are permitted, use established fire rings, fire pans, or mound fires.
- Keep fires small. Only use sticks from the ground that can be broken by hand.
- Burn all wood and coals to ash, put out campfires completely, then scatter cool ashes.
Respect wildlife
- Never feed animals.
- Observe wildlife from a distance. Do not follow or approach them.
- Protect wildlife and your food by storing rations and trash securely.
Be considerate of other visitors
- Be courteous. Yield to other users on the trail.
- Camp away from trails and other visitors.
- Let nature's sounds prevail. Avoid loud voices and noises.