National Park Etiquette: Leave No Trace Principles
I am on a mission to visit all National Park sites and one of the primary reasons I am on this journey is to appreciate the wonders, both historical and natural, that our country provides. While on this journey our family has seen an increase in park visits across the country, which is great to see!
As we see an increase in attendance, we all have the responsibility to ensure the preservation of our natural and historic sites. This concept has been championed as Leave No Trace (LNT), which everyone should be aware of and practice.
Note: these Leave No Trace seven principles are provided from my experience through the Boy Scouts of America and is also shared directly from LNT.org. No copyright is intended. Please go to their site for even more in-depth information.
Table of Contents
Seven Principles of Leave No Trace:
1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
Research where you are going and the regulations. Some sites do not allow pets. There are other areas that request no backcountry hiking (stay on trails). Each regulation has a reason and touches LNT principles.
Pack the right gear for your visit: You need to plan ahead for your safety but also to minimize waste. Some backcountry camping require you pack out all waste, including used toilet paper! Best to have a plan for that!
Why is it important: Ensure your safety and helps ensure other LNT principles can be utilized to reduce damage.
How to be prepared on the trail
- Bring your 10 essentials for hiking
- First Aid kit, Sun protection, food, compass/map, water, knife, matches/flint, flashlight/headlamp, Raingear, Extra clothes
- Other items to consider: Whistle and Insect Repellant
- Plan your route
- Call the Park ahead of time to check operating hours and for trail conditions
- Check the weather and plan accordingly
- Park based on the knowledge you collected
2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
Use established campsites and trails: Understanding how to travel across your route is important to prevent destroying natural habitat for wildlife or damaging a sensitive ecosystem. Established campsites and trails are there for a reason and avoids irreparable harm.
Fun Fact: Did you know you should camp 200 ft from a stream or lake to avoid unnecessary impacts? Influencers posting a ‘perfect’ campsite image are not always following LNT.
Tip: Walk in single file to avoid widening a trail unnecessarily.
Why is it important: Reduces resources damage that can have a lasting impact on other visitors and the environment.
3. Dispose of Waste Properly
Pack it in, Pack it out: It should be no surprise that humans generate a tremendous amount of waste. Wherever you go, backcountry camping or just investigating a local battlefield, take your trash with you when you leave, this includes food scraps as well.
Fun Fact: Use of a cat hole shovel is suggested when backcountry camping. In arid areas it is important to pack out used toilet paper as well. (bring a plastic bag!)
Why is it important: Lessening the impact from not only trash but other forms of waste are important to avoid unnecessary impacts.
How to use a Cat hole while in the backcountry:
- Location, location, location: Obviously do not do your business on next to a trail, but find a spot 200 feet from trails, campsites or water sources.
- Dig! An important step is to dig at least 6-8 inches deep and 4 inches wide. Bring your own cat hole digger to make it easier
- Do the deed: Once you have your personal place, position and do your business
- Pack it in, Pack it out (the toilet paper I mean): Sometimes you can bury it in the cat hole, but the most LNT option is to pack it out in a plastic bag. If you are in dry/arid locations it may even be required. Check with the local park to be sure.
- Fill it in: Fill in the hole with dirt (avoid rocks) so it can decompose. Cover the area like you have never been there.
4. Leave What You Find.
Do not disturb natural objects: At many National Park and monuments you will find areas you should not enter or touch. This is so important to avoid irreparable harm.
Keep the natural beauty, natural. Not carving your initials in a tree is obvious, but simple walking in areas roped off could cause huge impacts to sensitive areas and also be unsafe. Mind the signs!
Leave artifacts and other objects found: While it may be exhilarating to find an artifact while out in a National Park or Battlefield, picking up these items can cause a host of problems. Part of what makes the find so valuable is not just the item itself but where it is found. By moving it, the context and historical knowledge associated with it may be lost. Just report the find to a Park Ranger.
5. Minimize Campfire Impacts
Minimize campfire rings: Ideally you should use camp stoves and avoid establishing new campfire rings. If you have to use a fire ring, dispose of cold ashes by burying them or scattering them.
Understand local fire restrictions: Fire use always hold a level of risk, so look up local conditions and restrictions for your visit.
6. Respect Wildlife
Observe Wildlife form distance: Control pets (and children) and avoid chasing or startling wildlife on purpose. This can impact nesting, mating and other sensitive activities.
Proper food storage/Trash: Use bear bags and secure trash in your car or vehicle at night. This keeps wildlife from relying on humans for food, which is not healthy for them and creates a safety issue for both you and the animals.
7. Be Considerate of others
Practice Trail Etiquette: Share the trail. Cyclist yield to hikers and horses. Hikers yield to Horses. Downhill hikers yield to uphill hikers. Everyone should yield to bears. Just kidding, not kidding.
Respect the solitude: Many come to National Parks to experience wildlife and the natural environment, like Grand Teton National Park or Dry Tortugas National Park. They also visit battlefields, like Stones River and other National Memorials to pay respect for the history and meaning of the site. Be considerate of other’s experience and keep noise and music to a minimum.
If you want to learn more about these principals check out LNT.org. There are a host of training and educational information there to expand your knowledge. They even have programs so you can become a certified LNT instructor.
Parting thought
Whenever I am outdoors on a hiking trail, walking a battlefield site or just around a national monument, I carry a plastic bag in my backpack. More times than not, I have to take it out as I invariably find some piece of trash or debris that does not belong. Sometimes I get quizzical looks from passersby, but I find that if we all did a little something like this it can go a long way to making a positive impact.
What do you do to help Leave No Trace? Would love to hear about it in the comments!
