Leave No Trace

Y’all know I am VERY passionate about not destroying the outdoors. Wether that’s vandalism, careless littering, or pooping in places you shouldn’t….. the list goes on.

Since I complain often about dumb things people do outside, I decided maybe I should take time to educate people instead HAHA. So that’s what we’re doing today! We’re covering the 7 Leave No Trace principles - your guide for respecting the outdoors!

1. Plan Ahead and Prepare

• Know regulations for where you’re going. Does it require permits? Do you need a timed-entry reservation? Are dogs allowed?

• Prepare for weather. ALWAYS check the forecast before you leave and pack accordingly. It could be sunny where you are, but snowing at the top of the mountain you’re hiking to! For example, you don’t want to put yourself in a situation where you aren’t prepared and run a risk of hypothermia and need to be rescued.

• Try to go outside of high use times. Can you go on a weekday vs. a weekend and avoid a ton of crowds? This helps reduce impact on terrain.

• Have a map available. Wether that’s a physical one or on your phone (you can downloads maps on the All Trails app,) have something so you know where to go if you get lost on trail. This helps to avoid marking trails with things like flags or rocks to know where to return to, as this disrupts the environment. It also keeps you from going off trail to figure out where you’re at!

2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

• Make sure to use existing trails and campsites wherever you hike and camp. Stay on trails. Even if you’re dispersed camping where it’s fair game, try to use an already established campsite vs. making your own new one.

• If dispersed camping, ensure you’re at least 200 feet from lakes and streams.

• Walk single file on trail so as to not encourage widening it. Even if it’s muddy or there are puddles, try to jump over them instead of stepping off and around.

3. Dispose of Waste Properly

PRETEND I’M SCREAMING THIS ONE AT YOU, OKAY?

• PACK OUT YOUR SHIT. Your trash and your literal shit. We’ll talk about this more but, never ever ever ever throw trash on trails, leave dog poop bags on trails, or leave any trash at the trailhead.

• A lot of trails do not have trash cans and this means it’s YOUR, yes YOUR responsibility to take your trash out. Be prepared when you’re hiking to have a plan to carry any trash you produce or a bag in your pack to put trash in.

• Be prepared to poo. If there aren’t bathrooms when you need to go, you should always dig a hole a minimum of 6 inches and poop into it and cover it back up. Make sure you do this 200 feet away from any water sources. Pack out any toilet paper that you use. Do not bury this. Pack it out. I always bring a ziplock baggy to do so.

• A personal thing I just invested in is a reusable pee cloth. As a woman, we can’t NOT wipe after peeing - oh the perks of being a man - and I finally found an alternative solution vs. packing toilet paper. I bought this anti-microbial pee pad that you can use for a day and hook on the outside of your bag! It’s controversial hahaha some people thinks it’s nasty, but, to each their own!

4. Leave What You Find

• This one is pretty simple. Leave what you find. Do not take anything from the earth home with you! This includes but is not limited to:

  • picking wildflowers

  • taking rocks and wood

  • animals and insects

• This also means do NOT touch anything historical or cultural. Things like historical buildings down to petroglyphs. Leave it all alone. Look but don’t touch. Didn’t we learn that in kindergarten?

• Do not build things like rock balances, tee pees with fallen trees, etc.

• Do not carve into trees.

5. Minimize Campfire Impacts

• Ensure you know all fire bans that are in effect before you go to a location. Are you even allowed to be burning a fire??? You should know.

• Use established fire rings.

• Keep campfires as small as possible.

• COMPLETELY put out your fire. If you’re going to sleep or leaving your site, you need to absolutely DROWN your fire with water. There should be no burning or simmering or anything of the sorts when you leave your fire.

• Considering using a gas camp stove instead of a fire to cook food when you can!

6. Respect Wildlife

Another one I’m screaming at you.

• LEAVE WILDLIFE ALONE. Never follow or approach wildlife. Remember, YOU are in THEIR territory. Leave those babies alone and move on.

• NEVER EVER EVER feed wildlife. The most important reason for this is that it teaches them to rely on humans for food which leads to aggression. It can also harm their health and simply alters their natural biological behaviors.

• Be aware of trail closures during certain times to protect wildlife. This is typically posted at trailheads - be sure to abide.

• Keep pets away from wildlife.

• Store your food properly when camping. This could mean a bear can, utilizing bear boxes at campsites, storing water properly, locking your car, etc. If not, it can attract animals, and again, cause them to rely on humans for food, leading to dangerous human / animal interactions in the future.

7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors

• Respect other visitors and their experience.

• Avoid being loud and obnoxious.

• Be courteous and yield to others on the trail - including livestock.

• Try to give space to people when there is the option - wether camping or day use - try not to crowd next to others. Give space and peace!

 

There you have it! I’ll link to the LNT website here, but this is a quick summary that you can refer back to at any time. I encourage you to refer to it often, as I do, to ensure you’re being a good steward of the outdoors!

If you’ve made any of these mistakes in the past, don’t be too hard on yourself! I have and probably will continue to at times in my life because we all make mistakes! But the more you know, the better you can be. Try your best to abide by these to protect the outdoors and make sure everyone has a positive experience.