The 7 Principles of Leave No Trace
By Sofia Baum
The Leave No Trace Seven Principles share a guiding framework to a fulfilling and intentional experience in the outdoors. The purpose of Leave No Trace is to reconnect with the natural world and avoid damaging the land, waterways, and wildlife.
✓ Lining up experiences and activities with your or your groups level of knowledge, skill, and experience
✓ Considering weather, terrain, regulations, and anticipated food consumption.
✓ Minimize impact on natural world
✓ Increase level of comfort and enjoyment of the experience
✓ Encourages self-growth
✓ Avoiding living soil as it mitigates against erosions and is vulnerable to foot traffic
✓ Avoiding desert puddles and mud holes; other species rely on water sources for life and homes
✓ Camping 200 ft. or approximately 70 steps away from bodies of water
✓ Reduces effects of erosion
Finding a site with rich organic material (these sites are populated with decomposers)
Digging with garden shovel or trowel
Digging a hole 6-8 in. deep by 4-6 in.wide and at least 200 ft. (70 adult steps) away from a water source
Bury toilet paper or pack out in plastic bag
Pack out menstrual produces in plastic bag
Fill in hole with surrounding organic material
Avoid going to the same place twice
✓ Pack out trash and garbage
✓ Plan meals ahead of time to reduce food waste
✓ Pour wastewater from dishes 200 ft. away from water source
✓ Be mindful that lotions, sunscreen, insect repellent and body oils as they can contaminate water sources
✓ Avoid someone else finding your waste
✓ Minimize spread of disease and maximize decomposition
✓ Minimize pollution and land degradation
✓ Leaving natural objects such as wildlife remains, petrified wood, flowers, rocks etc.
✓ Leaving cultural artifacts or historical sites as they are protected by Archaeological Resources Protect Act
✓ Ensure environmental protection for future generations
✓ Informing yourself on the fire danger(s) specific to current season and location
✓ Informing yourself on campfire rules and regulations for your location or park
✓ Using an existing campfire ring or pit if available
✓ Alternatively, learning how to make a mound fire or use a fire pan
✓ Collecting kindling, tinder, and fuel from over a wide area away from campsite
✓ Minimize land degradation
✓ Not feeding, pursuing, or touching wildlife
✓ Storing food securely
✓ Keeping garbage and food scraps out of reach
✓ Pitching tent or shelter at least 200 ft. away from water sources as to avoid blocking access
✓ Disposing of waste properly
✓ Avoid animal parents abandoning their young by not touching or feeing them
✓ Minimize impact on wildlife and their habitats
Photo credit: Sofia Baum
The Leave No Trace Seven Principles share a guiding framework to a fulfilling and intentional experience in the outdoors. The purpose of Leave No Trace is to reconnect with the natural world and avoid damaging the land, waterways, and wildlife.
1. Prepare and Plan Ahead
What does this look like?
✓ Identifying goals for your experience✓ Lining up experiences and activities with your or your groups level of knowledge, skill, and experience
✓ Considering weather, terrain, regulations, and anticipated food consumption.
What's the impact?
✓ Ensure safety for yourself and your group✓ Minimize impact on natural world
✓ Increase level of comfort and enjoyment of the experience
✓ Encourages self-growth
Photo credit: Ben Duchac
2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
What does this look like?
✓ Staying on trail specifically on rock, sand and gravel; ice and snow; and sparse vegetation✓ Avoiding living soil as it mitigates against erosions and is vulnerable to foot traffic
✓ Avoiding desert puddles and mud holes; other species rely on water sources for life and homes
✓ Camping 200 ft. or approximately 70 steps away from bodies of water
What's the impact?
✓ Protect the landscape✓ Reduces effects of erosion
3. Dispose of Waste Properly
What does this look like?
✓ Digging a cat hole, which includes:Finding a site with rich organic material (these sites are populated with decomposers)
Digging with garden shovel or trowel
Digging a hole 6-8 in. deep by 4-6 in.wide and at least 200 ft. (70 adult steps) away from a water source
Bury toilet paper or pack out in plastic bag
Pack out menstrual produces in plastic bag
Fill in hole with surrounding organic material
Avoid going to the same place twice
✓ Pack out trash and garbage
✓ Plan meals ahead of time to reduce food waste
✓ Pour wastewater from dishes 200 ft. away from water source
✓ Be mindful that lotions, sunscreen, insect repellent and body oils as they can contaminate water sources
What's the impact?
✓ Avoid polluting water sources✓ Avoid someone else finding your waste
✓ Minimize spread of disease and maximize decomposition
✓ Minimize pollution and land degradation
Photo credit: Sofia Baum
4. Leave What You Find
What does this look like?
✓ Avoid damaging plant life✓ Leaving natural objects such as wildlife remains, petrified wood, flowers, rocks etc.
✓ Leaving cultural artifacts or historical sites as they are protected by Archaeological Resources Protect Act
What's the impact?
✓ Reduce impact on natural systems, ecosystems, and wildlife✓ Ensure environmental protection for future generations
Photo credit: Robson Hatsukami Morgan
5. Minimize Campfire Impact
What does this look like?
✓ Practicing Fire Safety (refer to our Campfire Safety post)✓ Informing yourself on the fire danger(s) specific to current season and location
✓ Informing yourself on campfire rules and regulations for your location or park
✓ Using an existing campfire ring or pit if available
✓ Alternatively, learning how to make a mound fire or use a fire pan
✓ Collecting kindling, tinder, and fuel from over a wide area away from campsite
What's the impact?
✓ Reduce chances of wildfires✓ Minimize land degradation
Credit: US National Archives
6. Respect Wildlife
What does this look like?
✓ Appreciating wildlife from a distance as not to scare them or force them to flee✓ Not feeding, pursuing, or touching wildlife
✓ Storing food securely
✓ Keeping garbage and food scraps out of reach
✓ Pitching tent or shelter at least 200 ft. away from water sources as to avoid blocking access
✓ Disposing of waste properly
What's the impact?
✓ Avoid getting bitten, pecked, scratched, or worse✓ Avoid animal parents abandoning their young by not touching or feeing them
✓ Minimize impact on wildlife and their habitats
Photo credit: Sofia Baum
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