Leave No Trace Awareness 

• Know the camping regulations and special concerns for the area you'll visit  

        -some areas may not permit fire or may require you to pack human waste

• Pay attention to your group size

            -visit in small groups when possible or consider splitting larger groups into smaller ones

• Schedule your trip to avoid times of high-use  

            -talk to land managers about places to go and places to avoid 

• Be prepared for extreme weather, hazards, and emergencies 

            -learn about the ecosystem and season; bring your outdoor essentials

• Plan your meals in advance and repackage food to minimize trash and leftovers

• Act Responsibly

Pack it in, Pack it out!!!

• Repackage foods to reduce the number of containers and reduce waste. 

• Bring reusable water bottles rather than purchased bottled water.

• Carry out all garbage and food scraps, even orange skins and apple cores. 

• When washing dishes, either dispose of water at the place designated by the campground or disperse it in a wide area at least 200 feet away from any water source. Remove all food scraps before disposing of it. 

• Use toilets or outhouses if provided. 

• On day hikes away from toilet facilities, take a trowel and dig a cathole to defecate and bury the feces. Choose a location at least 200 feet away from water sources and trails. 

Fires and the outdoors go together and a campfire is still very much part of camping. Even so, consider how to lessen the impact of any fires you have - 

 

• When you have a campfire, use an existing fire ring. 

• Cook using camp stoves.

• Check for restrictions on fire building due to fire danger or air pollution concerns. 

• Keep your fire small and allow it to burn completely to ash. 

• Put fires out with water. Scatter the cold ashes or dispose of them in a metal trash can. 

• Never throw trash of any kind in the fire 

• To minimize impact in an area without a fire ring, build a mound fire. 

Thoughtful campers respect other visitors-

• Limit group size.

• Let nature’s sounds prevail. Leave radios, tape players, and pets at home.

• Select campsites away from other groups to help preserve their solitude.

• Always travel and camp quietly to avoid disturbing other visitors.

• Yield to livestock.

• Make sure the colors of clothing and gear blend with the environment.

• Respect private property and leave gates (open or closed) as found.

• Be considerate of other campers and respect their privacy.

• Pick up litter.

• Educate people if and when you can.

• Durable surfaces include established trails and campsites, rock, gravel, dry grasses or snow

• Stay on designated/existing trails while hiking or backpacking 

• Don't shortcut switchbacks

• Stay on the trail even if it is muddy or wet

    - hike through it by wearing waterproof boots and gaiters to protect your feet from mud and water 

    To 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

Good campsites are found, not made 

• 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

• 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

Quick movements and loud noises are stressful to animals. Considerate campers practice these safety methods -

• Observe wildlife from afar to avoid disturbing them. Use binoculars and cameras with zoom lenses.

• You are too close if an animal alters its normal activities. 

• Give animals a wide berth, especially during breeding, nesting, and birthing seasons.

• Never feed wildlife - store food securely and keep garbage and food scraps away from animals so they will not acquire bad habits and stay wild.