NATIONAL TRAILS DAY®: GENERAL INFORMATION: LEAVE NO TRACE

American Hiking Society is a proud partner of the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. We share in, practice
and support Leave No Trace skills and ethics and believe in the stewardship of America’s public lands. Join us in
our work to Leave No Trace by following these seven, simple principles:

PLAN AHEAD AND PREPARE
Know the type of terrain and possible weather conditions you might encounter. Minimize impacts by keeping
groups small. For more information on hiking preparedness see American Hiking’s hiking safety fact sheet.

TRAVEL AND CAMP ON DURABLE SURFACES
Focus activity on resilient ground. Surfaces consisting of sand, gravel, rock, snow, or dry grass are durable and
can withstand heavy use. Walking single file and avoiding shortcuts will limit damage to the trail and surrounding
ecosystems. Walk through mud/puddles to avoid widening the trail.

DISPOSE OF WASTE PROPERLY
Pack it in. Pack it out! Clean up all trash and leftover food and properly dispose of human waste. Leave the areas
you enjoy as good, if not better than you found it.

LEAVE WHAT YOU FIND
You can look, but don’t take. Leave everything that you find in the wilderness where it belongs. Take pictures
instead; it allows others to enjoy the same experience.

MINIMIZE CAMPFIRE IMPACTS
Keep your campfire small—or go without. Use previously constructed fire rings or mounds. Be aware of the level
of fire danger of the area. Burn all wood and coals to ash, put campfire out completely, then scatter cool ashes.

RESPECT WILDLIFE
Never feed animals! Let the wild be wild. Keep your distance and do not attract or approach them.

BE CONSIDERATE OF OTHER VISITORS
Show respect for other trail users. Keep voices/noises from getting intrusively loud. Be courteous and yield to
other users on the trail.

For more information on these seven principles see our Leave No Trace fact sheet (PDF 20KB).

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Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics also has information on…

* Region Specific Guidelines
* Winter Principles
* Frontcountry Principles

Visit them at www.LNT.org or call 1-800-332-4100.