Learning how to enjoy the natural world in an ethical way is crucial to the protection of wild places and wild experiences. Our actions impact other visitors, wildlife, plants, waterways, and the health of the environment as a while. The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics has created a concise list of principles to help everyone enjoy their time outside in a meaningful, respectful way. Learn about each principle below and visit LNT.org to expand on any of the ideas listed here.
1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
It can be tempting to jump into a trip without planning first. However, taking the time to properly prepare will create a better experience for us and for the spaces we recreate in. Plus, preparing for a trip or hike can be an enjoyable part of the adventure.
Why it matters:
It helps ensure the safety and comfort of our group.
It helps us gain confidence in our abilities and skills - preparing us for enjoyable future trips.
It helps protect natural resources and minimizes damage to the areas we recreate in.
How to do it:
Identify the skills, abilities, and limitations of all trip participants.
Learn about the area we'll be traveling to and know what terrain and weather we may experience during our visit.
Understand the rules and regulations of the area we are planning to visit.
Plan activities that are appropriate for the group's abilities and limitations and that follow the rules and regulations of the area.
Evaluate the amount of food and water the group will need - don't forget snacks!
Pack clothing and gear for a comfortable and safe trip.
Pack trail and area maps. Everyone in the group should have access to a map. We can download maps from the appropriate land management websites, AllTrails, Avenza Maps, and other map sharing websites. We can also take a photo of the paper map to keep on our phone or camera. Remember - if we're planning on using our phone or another electronic device for navigation it is important to have a fully charged battery. Be aware of how long the battery lasts and, if necessary, bring a back-up or solar charger.
2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surface
Social trails, herd paths - whatever we call them, we've all seen them. It can be easy to assume that stepping off trail to get a sunlit photo in a patch of wildflowers isn't a big deal. It's also easy to think that taking a short cut through the trees or down a slope is a reasonable thing to do if you're rushing to finish a hike before sundown (another reason why planning ahead is so important)! Unfortunately, each step off trail leaves an impact. Not only do we damage or kill vegetation, but our steps often invite other hikers to travel the same path. This leads to erosion and further damage to the natural area we're recreating in.
Sometimes, off-trail travel is necessary for bathroom privacy or backcountry camping. Whenever we travel off-trail it is important to walk and camp on durable surfaces. Durable surfaces are able to withstand repeated trampling and scuffing.
Why it matters:
Hiking off-trail or on non-durable surfaces can create safety concerns for both our own group and for future hikers. Physical injury is much more likely when hiking through mud, living soil, or vegetation. Getting lost is also a concern.
Trampling fragile vegetation like alpine or wetland plants not only harms the plants themselves but also depletes resources for wildlife that depend on them for food.
Walking through vegetation and other non-durable surfaces exposes soil and makes it vulnerable to erosion. These eroded paths encourage other visitors to travel the same way, creating a web of non-managed paths where there was once a beautiful landscape.
Social trails created by erosion create an "ease of access". This means, vulnerable natural areas and species become exposed to further damage by humans.
How to do it:
Travel on designated trails whenever possible.
Follow all rules and regulations established by the park or management group associated with the area you are recreating.
Identify durable surfaces like rock, gravel, and sand to travel on. Avoid walking on lichens, vegetation, and living soil whenever possible.
Use switchbacks and avoid hiking straight down or up steep slopes.
If you are camping in a high-impact area, concentrate tents, kitchen areas, and traffic routes to the areas already impacted. This will help slow the creation of further damage to the site.
Camp at least 200 feet away from a body of water to allow wildlife access routes.
When hiking or camping in pristine areas void of past impact, spread out tents and routes to avoid repetitively stepping or laying in any one area. This will help prevent erosion and allow vegetation to recover. Utilize bare rock and other durable surfaces and be mindful of your steps to avoid unnecessary damage.
When camping in pristine areas, minimize further damage by naturalizing the area after camping. Cover scuffed areas, brush out footprints, and rake up matted grass. This will help the area recover faster and also prevent other campers from using the same site.
3. Dispose of Waste Properly
Imagine yourself hiking through a beautiful forest. You're calm and relaxed. The sun is shining through the tree branches, birds twittering above. The light catches something lying ahead and you look down to see what it is. There, on the forest floor, you see a shiny silver can. As you look around you soon realize that all around you lies trash left behind by past visitors. A can here, a plastic bag there, a few poop bags tossed on the side of the trail, and a candy wrapper by your foot. How is your hike now?
Despite the myths, there is no magic poop fairy to pick up after your dog. There isn't a janitorial service to come in daily to tidy up the trails for the next day's guests. What we leave behind stays. Even what we perceive as harmless organic material, like orange peels, can take months to decompose.
Why it matters:
Organic material like orange peels, apples, and other snacks we toss not only take months to decompose, but they encourage wildlife to eat foods that are unnatural to them. This can cause them to be sick or encourage them to seek human food in the future.
Candy wrappers and other nonorganic material can also tempt wildlife, causing them serious injury or death.
Poop (dog or human) left behind is not only gross to see, but can pollute water sources and spread disease. Bagging dog poo and leaving it behind creates a double dilemma - the same negative impacts that any waste will have, plus the addition of plastic.
A trail filled with trash and waste creates an unpleasant experience for other visitors, including our future selves.
How to do it:
When we plan ahead and prepare, we can ensure we only bring what we need on a hike. This allows us to have room in our packs for our wrappers, bottles, and other empty containers.
Pack it out. Anything we bring onto the trail should leave with us when we go. This includes our banana peels, apple cores, and other organic material.
Prepare to carry out dog waste. We should bring poop bags and a way to transport them out. They can be tied to your pooch's leash or your backpack.
Use toilets when available. Many trails offer restroom services at the trailhead that can be used before or after a hike.
When there are is no access to restrooms we can bury human waste by creating a cat hole. These holes should be 6-8 inches deep and at least 200 feet away from water sources and trails. You can learn more about cat hole best practices by visiting the Leave No Trace website.
In areas where burying human waste is not allowed, we should bring pack-out systems with us. There are also reusable camping toilets available to purchase, or for the DIYer, they can be made with a toilet seat and bucket.
Carrying out toilet paper is also important. There are companies that sell reusable cloth wipes that can be snapped shut and secured to a pack. There are also DIY options for this too.
If we bring pads or tampons on a hike, we should also bring a bag or container to carry them out too. There are a plethora of reusable options that can be carried out and cleaned too.
4. Leave What You Find
"It's just one flower." Sometimes we have the mindset that we are allowed to take something like a flower, rock, or artifact because our one action doesn't have a noticeable impact. However, if even only a handful of people share this mindset on a trail or in a meadow, there will be no more of that beauty left for the future to enjoy.
It is also important to leave what we find by not constructing lean-tos, benches, or digging trenches in natural areas. Not only do we harm the trees cut for creating these things, but we also damage the natural beauty of a place, impacting other visitors. Carving into or damaging standing trees also damages the natural beauty of a place, and damages the living tree.
Why it matters:
Taking natural resources from a space removes important food and building material that wildlife need to survive.
Removing vegetation or wildlife from an area decreases their wild population, threatening their survival.
Building in the wild turns a natural area into a human one, removing beauty and resources needed for the plant and animal communities that live there.
Removing artifacts harms history for both the space we are visiting and for the ancestral people those artifacts belong to.
How to do it:
Leave flora and fauna where they are. Leave rocks and other non-living objects behind too. Instead, take photos, draw, or write about the things you find on your adventure.
We can help trees thrive (and the wildlife that rely on them) by reducing the harm we cause them. We can do this by avoiding stepping on fragile roots, not cutting or carving into them, and limiting the damage we cause them with hammocks and other hanging devices.
Leave artifacts and archaeological objects where they are to protect their integrity and spirit.
Leave rocks in their place and avoid stacking stones or making rock piles or other structures.
5. Minimize Campfire Impacts
There is nothing like roasting smores or popcorn on a fire. Building and maintaining a campfire can be a wonderful part of the camping experience. Understanding how to build and manage a campfire safely is an important skill for every camper to learn. Knowing when not to have a fire is equally important.
Why it matters:
Studies have shown that humans are responsible for 84% of all wildfires in the United States.
Neglected or improperly managed campfires can create massive wildfires like those we have seen in California, Oregon, and Colorado the last few years.
Fires can threaten wildlife, vegetation, and entire ecosystems. They can also threaten homes, air quality, and human life.
Firewood, when transported to a new region, can bring with it ecosystem-altering pests.
Standing trees, dead or alive, are home to wildlife.
How to do it:
Learn the rules regarding campfires when visiting a park or other natural place.
Learn about fire conditions. What is the fire danger for the time of year and region?
Learn the proper skills for building and managing a campfire.
Use existing fire rings for constructing fires.
Use only downed or locally purchased wood. Make sure the pieces used are smaller than the diameter of an adult wrist.
Ensure that the fire is put out properly by burning it until it is white ash, then grinding the ash and soaking it in water.
Use a camp stove instead of building a fire when possible.
6. Respect Wildlife
Observing wildlife in their natural environment can be one of the most magical parts of any adventure. For the safety of ourselves, our fellow hikers, and the wildlife it is important to watch quietly from a distance. Loud noises and aggressive movements can distress wildlife and cause them to flee or defend themselves. Investing in a pair of binoculars brings great opportunities to watch wildlife respectfully and can allow us to see small or fast moving animals we may not have seen otherwise.
Why it matters:
Wildlife who become dependent on humans for food lose part of their wildness. This can cause changes in their behavior that are dangerous to themselves, to humans, and to their environment.
Scared animals may defend themselves by becoming aggressive which can lead to injury.
If a wild animal becomes aggressive towards a human they are often killed. Similarly, a wild animal that becomes too comfortable with humans and ventures into picnic areas or towns looking for food will also be killed.
Sick or wounded animals can spread disease if they bite or come into contact with humans.
How to do it:
Stay an appropriate distance away from wildlife. For small mammals like squirrels and chipmunks, give them at least 25 feet of space. For herbivores like deer or elk, keep a distance of about 75 feet. For moose and bear, give them at least 120 feet of space.
Use binoculars or a long lens camera to safely observe wildlife.
Avoid feeding or offering food or touches to wild animals. Pack out food wrappers and other waste.
Use bear lockers and canisters or another appropriate storage method for food when camping and backpacking.
Camp at least 200 feet away from water sources to allow wildlife access to drinking water. Avoid water holes at night so that you don't scare nocturnal animals.
7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors
Some of us may enjoy spending our time outdoors with rigorous activities like running or rowing. Some of us may use our time outdoors for spiritual or peaceful moments of reflection and contemplation. Others of us may enjoy spending time with our loved ones while surrounded by wildflowers and birds. Whatever the reasoning, we all want to enjoy our time outdoors. Being considerate of other visitors is a great way to ensure that we also get to have a pleasant experience outdoors.
Why it matters:
Our experience affects other visitors.
Our thoughtless or negative actions may encourage more negative actions from other visitors.
The outdoor experience is for everyone. We have a responsibility to protect the experience of other visitors as well as future generations.
How to do it:
Learn the rules and regulations for the area. Who has the right-of-way on the trail? Does the group possess the skills required to perform the activity without jeopardizing their own or other visitor's safety?
Keep pets on leash unless permitted to do otherwise.
Avoid talking loudly or making loud noises.
When stopping for a break or to talk, step to one side of the trail to allow other visitors to go around.
Use headphones when listening to music on a trail or on the water. At camp, make sure to keep the volume low and turn it off at the regulated quiet hour.
And, of course, wear a CDC compliant mask at trailheads and when passing other visitors on the trail!
We all have a responsibility to care for the places we love to recreate in. Whether you're a birder, a biker, a climber, or a kayaker we can all do our part to reduce our impact on the natural world and protect these resources for future generations.