What Is Leave No Trace?

Leave No Trace (LNT) is a set of seven principles developed to guide responsible outdoor behavior. Originally developed for wilderness users, the principles apply equally to day hikers, campers, trail runners, and anyone spending time in natural spaces. The core idea is simple: minimize your impact so the land remains healthy for wildlife and future visitors.

The 7 Principles in Practice

1. Plan Ahead and Prepare

Good planning prevents most problems before they arise. Research the regulations and terrain of your destination, check weather forecasts, and pack appropriate gear. When you're prepared, you're less likely to make harmful improvised decisions — like cutting switchbacks, building impromptu fire rings, or camping too close to water.

2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

Stick to established trails and campsites whenever possible. When you walk off-trail, do so on rock, gravel, dry grass, or snow — surfaces that can withstand foot traffic. In fragile ecosystems like alpine meadows or cryptobiotic soil crusts in deserts, a single footstep can cause damage that takes decades to recover.

  • Camp at least 200 feet (about 70 adult steps) from lakes, rivers, and streams.
  • Avoid widening trails by walking single-file.
  • Disperse use in pristine areas to prevent the creation of new social trails.

3. Dispose of Waste Properly

This covers everything from trash to human waste:

  • Trash: Pack out all garbage, food scraps, and litter — including orange peels and apple cores, which take much longer to decompose than people expect.
  • Human waste: Use established restroom facilities when available. In the backcountry, dig a cathole 6–8 inches deep and at least 200 feet from water, trails, and campsites. In some sensitive environments (river canyons, alpine zones), pack-out systems are required.
  • Wastewater: Strain dishwater and scatter it 200 feet from water sources. Use biodegradable soap sparingly and away from water.

4. Leave What You Find

Natural objects — rocks, flowers, feathers, artifacts — belong in the landscape that shaped them. Taking souvenirs, however small, multiplies into significant harm when thousands of visitors do the same. Observe, photograph, and appreciate. Leave everything else in place.

5. Minimize Campfire Impacts

Campfires can cause lasting damage and are a leading cause of wildfires. Where fires are permitted:

  • Use established fire rings rather than creating new ones.
  • Use only small sticks found on the ground, not branches broken from trees.
  • Burn fires completely to ash and douse thoroughly with water before leaving.
  • Consider a camp stove — it's faster, more efficient, and leaves zero impact.

6. Respect Wildlife

Keep a respectful distance from animals at all times. Never feed wildlife — human food harms animal health, disrupts natural foraging behavior, and creates dangerous animals that may need to be euthanized. Store food properly using bear canisters or hang systems where required.

7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors

The outdoors is a shared space. Keep noise levels down, yield on trails, and be mindful of how your choices affect others' experience. Intrusive music, off-trail shortcutting, and leaving campsites trashed degrades the experience for everyone who follows.

Why It Matters

With millions of people visiting public lands each year, even small individual impacts accumulate into significant ecological damage. LNT isn't about restriction — it's about ensuring that the wild places we love still exist, in good health, for every generation that comes after us.