The Leave No Trace Program (www.lnt.org) is self-described as an organization that accomplishes its mission by providing innovative education, skills and research to help people care for the outdoors. By working with the public and those managing public lands, the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics focuses on educating people—instead of costly restoration programs or access restrictions—as the most effective and least resource-intensive solution to land protection.

It’s unfortunate that an organization like this even has to exist, but it’s very common in many parts of the country where hiking is a main attraction that there are those who do not respect nature and work to keep it safe. Protecting the great outdoors should be a priority of anyone who seeks to enjoy it, no matter how much or little that is an option for you.

The Leave No Trace Program is an organization that has been around for over 30 years. Their mission is to spread awareness of the importance of outdoor ethics and the need to reduce our impact on the environment when we are in the outdoors. Hiking is an excellent way to get outside and enjoy the beauty of nature. However, we must be aware of our actions and be responsible for the impact we leave on the area we are hiking. The Leave No Trace Program has provided several principles and guidelines for us to follow when we go out hiking. By following these guidelines, we are able to help preserve the outdoors through our actions.

Remember to always follow these 7 principles, but make sure you are also taking the time to educate yourself on the Leave No Trace guidelines for the area you are hiking.

1. Plan ahead and prepare.

2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces.

3. Dispose of waste properly.

4. Leave what you find.

5. Minimize campfire impacts.

6. Respect wildlife.

7. Be considerate of visitors.

Some of these are fairly self explanatory but let’s dig into a couple of them to expound on what that actually looks like in practice.

3. Dispose of Waste Properly

One of the biggest impacts we can make on the environment is through disposing of our waste. This principle is about making sure that we are disposing of our waste properly, whether it is human waste or trash. For Human Waste it can be extremely harmful to the environment. For this reason it is important that we bury our waste properly. To properly bury human waste, you should dig a cathole that is at least 6 inches deep and at least 200 feet away from water sources. You can also use a lightweight backcountry toilet to properly dispose of your waste. These toilets are small, lightweight, and easy to use.

Trash can be harmful to the environment as well. It is important that we are responsible with our trash. If possible, we should pack out our trash. This can be done by carrying a trash bag with you on your hike, or packing out trash in bags. If you are not able to pack out your trash, you should bury it in a cathole that is at least 6 inches deep and at least 200 feet away from water sources. If you are not able to bury your trash, you should deposit it in a trash can where available. Do not be a jerk and just leave it for others or animals. It can be very dangerous and harmful.

4. Leave What You Find

This principle is the idea that we should not move, deface, or remove what we find in the outdoors. This could mean that we should not move logs, rocks, plants, flowers, environmental signage, or anything else that we find in the environment. This principle could also mean that we should not take items from the outdoors, whether they are rocks to stack or throw, flowers to pick, or anything else. Leave What You Find could also mean that we should not take items that are not ours, even if we know that they are not important to others. The Leave No Trace principle of Leave What You Find helps protect the environment by not causing harm, which could result in the area becoming over-run with visitors, which would cause further harm to the environment.

7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors

While we are out hiking, we may come across other visitors. We should always be respectful of these visitors and be considerate of their experience. When hiking in a group, it is a good idea to hike in a single file, especially when crossing a field or a meadow. This will help reduce the amount of impact we have on the environment with all the steps and gear being taken.

As time goes on, we will cover more of these principles in detail and show ways that you can practice these in your own communities. We’d love to highlight groups that are using LNT principles during their hiking trips, please reach out to us if you know of them!