The 7 Principles of Leave No Trace
How to enjoy the outdoors without damaging the environment
Now that summer is upon us, I bet many of you are planning your next hiking or camping trip. If you are, you may be familiar with the concept of “leave no trace.” As it turns out, it’s more than a motto — it’s an entire framework to help people enjoy the outdoors responsibly. Read on to learn about the history of the Leave No Trace Movement and the seven principles it encompasses.
The history of the Leave No Trace movement
The Leave No Trace movement emerged in the 60s and 70s, when camping and hiking started to become popular. Growing numbers of people were enjoying the outdoors, but without the education and resources to preserve natural spaces, they were leaving their mark on the land. People were trampling plants, disturbing wildlife, littering, and causing damage with irresponsible campfires.
Early efforts to address the issue included brochures created by U.S. government agencies. In the late 80s, the U.S. Forest Service partnered with the National Outdoor Leadership School to formalize an educational curriculum. Then, in 1994, Leave No Trace, Inc. was established. An independent not-for-profit, Leave No Trace partnered with federal agencies, educators, and retailers to educate the public about ethical outdoor recreation. Today, Leave No Trace continues to provide education, training, and outreach, and the program has expanded to other countries. For my Canadian readers, Leave No Trace Canada is your go-to resource.
The 7 Principles of Leave No Trace
Leave No Trace is guided by seven core principles to help outdoor enthusiasts protect natural spaces. While these principles are geared towards camping and hiking, they can be applied anywhere — from your local park to your back yard.
1. Plan ahead and prepare
The practice of Leave No Trace begins before you’ve left home. Planning ahead is key to ensuring everyone is safe and protects nature.
Schedule your trip for low-traffic periods if possible.
Learn about the area you plan to visit — including regulations, terrain, trails, hazards, land boundaries, and protected habitat.
Prepare for extreme weather, hazards, and emergencies.
Visit in small groups. Split larger parties into smaller groups of 4-6 people.
Identify the skills and abilities of participants, and plan roles and activities accordingly.
Choose appropriate equipment and clothing for comfort and safety.
Anticipate the food consumption of participants to avoid food waste.
Pack food in reusable containers to minimize waste.
Bring a compass and an up-to-date map.
2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces
Trails and campsites are there for a reason — they help us safely enjoy natural areas without trampling them beyond repair. By hiking on trails and camping on designated campsites, we can protect natural spaces for other visitors to enjoy — and for the sake of the species that live there.
Walk single file in the middle of the trail, even when wet or muddy.
Protect riparian areas by camping at least 200 feet from lakes and streams.
Stay within the trail’s width and avoid creating switchbacks.
Provide space for other hikers when taking breaks along the trail.
Keep campsites small. Focus activity in areas where vegetation is absent.
If you are visiting an area without an established trail or campsite, try to use durable surfaces like rock, gravel, and dry grass or snow.
3. Dispose of waste properly
You can only leave no trace if you leave no waste. Litter isn’t just unsightly — it harms the environment. Plastic bags, cigarette butts, fishing line, and other trash can entangle or be ingested by wildlife, both on land an in the water. Human waste must also be disposed of properly — it can contain protozoans, bacteria, and viruses that pollute the environment and spread disease. Do your best to minimize waste in the first place, and for anything unavoidable, remember the mantra: “Pack it in, pack it out.”
Pack out all trash and leftover food. Avoid burning garbage.
Deposit solid human waste in “catholes” dug 6-8 inches deep at least 200 feet from water, camp, and trails. Cover and disguise the cathole when finished. Check out this video on how to poop in the woods.
In some locations like narrow river canyons, where burying human waste isn’t an option, be prepared to pack it out. Here are some recommended human waste bags.
Bury toilet paper deep in a cathole or pack it out along with hygiene products.
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.
4. Leave what you find
It’s tempting to collect items you find on a trip, but the rocks, plants, and artifacts you discover in nature belong where there. These items have a role to play, either in the ecosystem or the story of the landscape. And by leaving them in place, you’re giving others a chance to discover them next.
Preserve the past: observe cultural or historic structures and artifacts, but do not touch them.
Leave rocks, plants, and other natural objects as you find them.
Avoid introducing or transporting non-native species.
Do not build structures or dig trenches.
5. Minimize campfire impacts
What’s camping without a campfire? Building a campfire is not only an essential skill — it’s a primordial act. But campfires can have devastating consequences if done wrong, and they aren’t always safe. Before you plan to build a fire, keep these things in mind:
Check the fire danger rating for your area.
Do not have a fire if it’s windy or if there are fire restrictions.
Keep a 3-metre clearance around and above your fire site.
Use a fire pit, fire ring, pan, or mound fire when available.
If no site exists, build on bare rock, soil or sand. Scrape the ground down to bare soil in a 1m radius
Keep fires small. Use only sticks from the ground that can be broken by hand.
Firewood can harbour invasive species, so only use purchased firewood or wood gathered responsibly from within 50 miles of the final fire location
Avoid cutting or breaking branches from standing or downed trees. Use dead branches found on the ground — it burns quickly, is easy to collect, and leaves less impact.
Never leave your fire unattended and keep a pail of water nearby.
Burn all wood and coals to ash if you can.
Put out the fire completely with water, not dirt. Pour water on the fire, stir, and repeat until the ash is cool to the touch.
If campfires aren’t safe or permitted, use a lightweight stove for cooking and a lantern for light.
In backcountry areas, scatter the remains over a large area away from camp.
Replace soil where you found it when cleaning up a mound or pan fire.
6. Respect wildlife
When you’re out exploring or camping in the wild, consider yourself an uninvited guest in someone else’s home; the outdoor spaces we enjoy are indeed habitat for many species. While sighting and observing wildlife is one of the highlights of camping and hiking, try to be a courteous guest and follow these guidelines:
Observe wildlife from a distance. Do not follow or approach animals.
Never feed wildlife. Feeding animals harms their health, alters their natural behaviors, and makes them vulnerable to predators and other dangers. Some animals, like bears, can lose their fear of humans and become a nuisance or a danger.
Properly store food and scented items like deodorant or toothpaste so it can’t be accessed by wildlife.
Keep your pets on a leash or under voice control and within sight — or leave them at home.
7. Be considerate of others
Leave No Trace isn’t just about being courteous to nature and wildlife — it’s about treating our fellow humans with respect so everyone can enjoy the outdoors.
Give people space when you encounter others on a trail.
If you encounter a pack stock, greet riders and ask which side of the trail you should move to.
Camp and take breaks away from trails and others.
While you may enjoy singsongs or listening to music, others may be there to meditate, listen to birds sing, or simply enjoy some quiet time. Keep the noise down and let the sounds of nature prevail.
I hope you get to spend lots of time exploring the outdoors this summer! Let me know in the comments if you have any other Leave No Trace tips or experiences to share.
Yours for the Greener Good,
Brett