Trail Etiquette

Leave No Trace Principles while hiking:

• Plan Ahead and Prepare

• • Know the regulations and special concerns for the area you'll visit.
  • Prepare for extreme weather, hazards, and emergencies.
  • Schedule your trip to avoid times of high use.
  • Visit in small groups when possible. Consider splitting larger groups into smaller groups.
  • Repackage food to minimize waste.
  • Use a map and compass or GPS to eliminate the use of marking paint, rock cairns or flagging.

• Travel on Durable Surfaces

  • In popular areas:
  • • Concentrate use on existing trails and campsites.
    • Walk single file in the middle of the trail, even when wet or muddy.
  • In pristine areas:
  • • Disperse use to prevent the creation of and trails.
    • Avoid places where impacts are just beginning.

• Dispose of Waste Properly

• • Pack it in, pack it out. Pack out all trash, leftover food and litter.
  • Utilize toilet facilities whenever possible. Otherwise, deposit solid human waste in catholes dug 6 to 8 inches deep, at least 200 feet from water and trails. Cover and disguise the cathole when finished.
  • Pack out toilet paper and hygiene products.

• Leave What You Find

• • Preserve the past: examine, photograph, but do not touch cultural or historic structures and artifacts.
  • Leave rocks, plants and other natural objects as you find them.
  • Avoid introducing or transporting non-native species.
  • Do not build structures, furniture, or dig trenches.

• Respect Wildlife

• • Observe wildlife from a distance. Do not follow or approach them.
  • Never feed animals. Feeding wildlife damages their health, alters natural behaviors, [habituates them to humans], and exposes them to predators and other dangers.
  • Control pets at all times, or leave them at home.
  • Avoid wildlife during sensitive times: mating, nesting, raising young, or winter.

• Be Considerate of Other Visitors

• • Respect other visitors and protect the quality of their experience.
  • Be courteous. Yield to other users on the trail.
  • Step to the downhill side of the trail when encountering pack stock.
  • Take breaks and camp away from trails and other visitors.
  • Let nature's sounds prevail. Avoid loud voices and noises.