The Principles of Leave No Trace
The principles of Leave No Trace might seem unimportant until you consider
the combined effects of millions of outdoor visitors. One poorly located
campsite or campfire may have little significance, but thousands of such
instances seriously degrade the outdoor experience for all. Leaving no trace is
1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
Proper trip planning and preparation helps hikers and campers accomplish trip
goals safely and enjoyably while minimizing damage to natural and cultural
resources. Campers who plan ahead can avoid unexpected situations, and minimize
their impact by complying with area regulations such as observing limitations on
group size. Schedule your trek to avoid times of high use. Obtain permits or
permission to use the area for your trek.
Proper planning ensures
- Low-risk adventures because campers obtained information
concerning geography and weather and prepared accordingly
- Properly located campsites because campers allotted enough
time to reach their destination
- Appropriate campfires and minimal trash because of careful
meal planning and food repackaging and proper equipment
- Comfortable and fun camping and hiking experiences because
the outing matches the skill level of the participants
2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
Damage to land occurs when visitors trample vegetation or communities of
organisms beyond recovery. The resulting barren areas develop into undesirable
trails, campsites, and soil erosion.
Concentrate Activity, or Spread Out?
- In high-use areas, campers should concentrate their
activities where vegetation is already absent. Minimize resource damage by
using existing trails and selecting designated or existing campsites. Keep
campsites small by arranging tents in close proximity.
- In more remote, less-traveled areas, campers should
generally spread out. When hiking, take different paths to avoid creating
new trails that cause erosion. When camping, disperse tents and cooking
activities—and move camp daily to avoid creating permanent-looking
campsites. Avoid places where impacts are just beginning to show. Always
choose the most durable surfaces available: rock, gravel, sand, compacted
soil, dry grasses, or snow.
These guidelines apply to most alpine settings and may be different for other
areas, such as deserts. Learn the Leave No Trace techniques for your crew's
specific activity or destination. Check with land managers to be sure of the
3. Dispose of Waste Properly (Pack It In, Pack It Out)
simple yet effective saying motivates backcountry visitors to take their trash
home with them. It makes sense to carry out of the backcountry the extra
materials taken there by your group or others. Inspect your campsite for trash
or spilled foods. Accept the challenge of packing out all trash, leftover food,
Backcountry users create body waste and wastewater that
require proper disposal.
Wastewater. Help prevent contamination of natural water
sources: After straining food particles, properly dispose of dishwater by
dispersing at least 200 feet (about 80 to 100 strides for a youth) from springs,
streams, and lakes. Use biodegradable soap 200 feet or more from any water
Human Waste. Proper human waste disposal helps prevent the spread of
disease and exposure to others. Catholes 6 to 8 inches deep in humus and 200
feet from water, trails, and campsites are often the easiest and most practical
way to dispose of feces.
4. Leave What You Find
Allow others a sense of
discovery, and preserve the past. Leave rocks, plants, animals, archaeological
artifacts, and other objects as you find them. Examine but do not touch cultural
or historical structures and artifacts. It may be illegal to remove artifacts.
Minimize Site Alterations
Do not dig tent trenches or build lean-tos, tables, or
chairs. Never hammer nails into trees, hack at trees with hatchets or saws, or
damage bark and roots by tying horses to trees for extended periods. Replace
surface rocks or twigs that you cleared from the campsite. On high-impact sites,
clean the area and dismantle inappropriate user-built facilities such as
multiple fire rings and log seats or tables.
Good campsites are found, not made.
Avoid altering a site, digging trenches, or building structures.
Some people would not think of camping without a campfire. Yet
the naturalness of many areas has been degraded by overuse of fires and
increasing demand for firewood.
Lightweight camp stoves make low-impact camping
possible by encouraging a shift away from fires. Stoves are fast, eliminate the
need for firewood, and make cleanup after meals easier. After dinner, enjoy a
candle lantern instead of a fire.
If you build a fire, the most important
consideration is the potential for resource damage. Whenever possible, use an
existing campfire ring in a well-placed campsite. Choose not to have a fire in
areas where wood is scarce—at higher elevations, in heavily used areas with a
limited wood supply, or in desert settings.
True Leave No Trace fires are small.
Use dead and downed wood that can be broken easily by hand. When possible, burn
all wood to ash and remove all unburned trash and food from the fire ring. If a
site has two or more fire rings, you may dismantle all but one and scatter the
materials in the surrounding area. Be certain all wood and campfire debris is
6. Respect Wildlife
Quick movements and loud noises are stressful to
animals. Considerate campers practice these safety methods:
- Observe wildlife
from afar to avoid disturbing them.
- Give animals a wide berth, especially during
breeding, nesting, and birthing seasons.
- Store food securely and keep garbage
and food scraps away from animals so they will not acquire bad habits. Never
feed wildlife. Help keep wildlife wild.
You are too close if an animal alters
its normal activities.
7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors
respect other visitors and protect the quality of their experience.
- Travel and
camp in small groups (no more than the group size prescribed by land managers).
- Let nature's sounds prevail. Keep the noise down and leave radios, tape players,
and pets at home.
- Select campsites away from other groups to help preserve their
- Always travel and camp quietly to avoid disturbing other visitors.
- Make sure the colors of clothing and gear blend with the environment.
private property and leave gates (open or closed) as found.
Be considerate of
other campers and respect their privacy.