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Leave No Trace
Plan Ahead and Prepare
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Know the regulations and special concerns
for the area you'll visit.
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Prepare for extreme weather, hazards,
and emergencies.
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Schedule your trip to avoid times of
high use.
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Visit in small groups when possible.
Consider splitting into smaller groups.
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Repackage food to minimize waste.
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Use a map and compass to eliminate the
use of marking paint, rock cairns or flagging.
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Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
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Durable surfaces include established
trails and campsites, rock, gravel, dry grasses or snow.
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Protect riparian areas by camping at
least 200 feet from lakes and streams. Good campsites are found,
not made. Altering a site is not necessary.
In popular areas:
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Concentrate use on existing trails and
campsites.
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Walk single file in the middle of the
trail, even when wet or muddy.
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Keep campsites small. Focus activity
in areas where vegetation is absent.
In pristine areas:
Dispose of Waste Properly
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Pack it in, pack it out. Inspect your
campsite and rest areas for trash or spilled foods. Pack out
all trash, leftover food, and litter.
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Deposit solid human waste in catholes
dug 6 to 8 inches deep at least 200 feet from water, camp, and
trails. Cover and disguise the cathole when finished.
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Pack out toilet paper and hygiene products.
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To wash yourself or your dishes, carry
water 200 feet away from streams or lakes and use small amounts
of biodegradable soap. Scatter strained dishwater.
Leave What You Find
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Preserve the past: examine, but do not
touch, cultural or historic structures and artifacts.
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Leave rocks, plants and other natural
objects as you find them.
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Avoid introducing or transporting non-native
species.
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Do not build structures, furniture, or
dig trenches.
Minimize Campfire Impacts
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Campfires can cause lasting impacts to
the backcountry. Use a lightweight stove for cooking and enjoy
a candle lantern for light.
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Where fires are permitted, use established
fire rings, fire pans, or mound fires.
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Keep fires small. Only use sticks from
the ground that can be broken by hand.
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Burn all wood and coals to ash, put out
campfires completely, then scatter cool ashes.
Respect Wildlife
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Observe wildlife from a distance. Do
not follow or approach them.
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Never feed animals. Feeding wildlife
damages their health, alters natural behaviors, and exposes
them to predators and other dangers.
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Protect wildlife and your food by storing
rations and trash securely.
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Control pets at all times, or leave them
at home.
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Avoid wildlife during sensitive times:
mating, nesting, raising young, or winter.
Be Considerate of Other Visitors
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Respect other visitors and protect the
quality of their experience.
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Be courteous. Yield to other users on
the trail.
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Step to the downhill side of the trail
when encountering pack stock.
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Take breaks and camp away from trails
and other visitors.
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Let nature's sounds prevail. Avoid loud
voices and noise.
Follow the link to the Leave No Trace website
for more detailed information. www.LNT.org
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"Wilderness is disappearing like a snow bank in the hot August
sun."
- Robert Marshall
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