It's the most colorful time of the year! The fall color season is like a progressive festival that spans more than a month from the mountains into the piedmont and midlands. With so many people wanting to enjoy the turning of the leaves along with harvest festivals, apple picking, pumpkin patching, and craft shopping, it is very important to remember the principles of Leave No Trace and recognize their importance.
The Seven Principles of Leave No Trace® are guidelines to ensure experiences in the great outdoors remain healthy, wild, and welcoming for future explorers. They are based in science and updated regularly with input from biologists, land managers, and outdoor educators to make sure they remain relevant and incorporate any new information.
Principle 1: Plan Ahead and Prepare
There's an old adage that says, "Failing to plan is planning to fail." No one wants their outing to be a failure, not fun, or at worst, dangerous. Taking the time to make a plan for your hike or camping trip is as important as the actual trip.
Here are a few basics to remember:
- Know the regulations and special concerns for the area you’re visiting.
- Hike/travel in small groups to reduce your impact on the trail.
- Schedule your outing to avoid times of high use (when you’re leaf-peeping, if you can come during the week, traffic on the roads and trails is lighter).
- Use a map and compass or follow trail blazes that are already there to find your way to avoid cairns or paint marking. (Do not stack rocks in creeks – that endangers populations of the Eastern Hellbender, a protected species of salamander that can grow to two feet long and weigh 2-3 pounds.)
- Check the weather and plan for changes – weather can change quickly, so it’s always good to carry a rain jacket and a fleece just in case. Remember the 10 essentials – navigation (map/compass/GPS/smartphone app with power bank), headlamp (remember extra batteries), sun protection, first aid kit (if you’re hiking with a 4-legged friend, remember to take first aid supplies for them, too), gear repair kit (knife or multi-tool, duct tape, scissors), fire (matches, fire starter, tinder), emergency shelter (space blanket, emergency bivy, plastic tarp), extra food (high energy protein bars and snacks), extra water (also water filter/purifier), and extra clothing (just in case you end up staying overnight unexpectedly).
- Let someone know where you are going and when you plan on returning.
Why is it important:
Keeping everyone's abilities and limitations in mind while making your plan will keep things fun and attainable for everyone. Making a conscientious decision to hike a different trail or overnight at a less visited spot helps keep areas from being "loved to death." While we hope this is never the case, letting someone know your plans will help in a timely search if your hike doesn't go as planned.
Principle 2: Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
Durable surfaces are well established trails and campsites and may be rock, gravel, pavement, dry grasses, and snow. Staying on the trail will help the surrounding area maintain its natural existence and reduce impacts on vegetation and wildlife.
Here are the basics to practice:
- Walk single file in the middle of the trail, even when it is wet or muddy.
- Use only existing trails and campsites whenever possible.
- Protect riparian areas by camping at least 200 feet from lakes and streams.
- Keep campsites small and focus activity in areas where vegetation is absent.
- When traveling in undisturbed areas, disperse use to prevent the creation of campsites and trails. If you camp in an area that is undisturbed, do your best the next morning to “cover your tracks” by sweeping away footprints, raking matted grassy areas with a stick, and cover scuffed areas with natural materials (like pine needles).
Why it's important:
Trails in recreation areas are thoughtfully constructed to follow the flow of the land and to reduce wear and tear and erosion. By going off trail – shortcutting switchbacks, expanding the width of the path, etc. - the impact of erosion increases, and rare plants could be endangered. Trampling lichens or other low-growing plants or in deserts by walking on "living soil" can have impacts that take decades to recover.
Principle 3: Dispose of Waste Properly
In a nutshell, if you take it in, you should bring it back out. We've all been on trails and found food wrappers, cigarette butts, and orange peels. Not only do they spoil the view, but these items also pose a threat to wildlife. Carry a bag to pack out whatever waste you (or others) create.
Here are the basics:
- When you take a break on the trail or break up your campsite, take a moment to inspect for trash, including leftover food, and put it in your bag to pack out.
- Carry water from the source in a container to wash dishes at least 200 feet from streams or a lake. Use only a small amount of biodegradable soap. Strain the wash water and disperse the water over a large area.
- Solid human waste should be disposed of in a cathole dug 6-8 inches deep and 4-6 inches wide, 200 feet (at least) from the trail, campsite, or body of water. Bury the toilet paper (or pack it out) in the cathole. Your cathole should be covered with natural matter – and it’s best it’s in a somewhat sunny spot to aid in decomposition.
- Urinating on rocks, pine needles, or gravel is less likely to attract wildlife. It’s a good idea to dilute the urine with water – and make sure you’re 200 feet from your campsite, trail, high-use area, or body of water.
Why it's important:
As a practitioner of Leave No Trace, it's important to consider the impact the waste we leave behind will have on other people, wildlife, and water. As part of your planning process, remember to pack biodegradable toilet paper, a small garden trowel, and a bag to pack out trash. Also, in your planning, some recreation areas require that human waste is packed out to avoid water contamination or spread of disease. Be sure to check on that.
Principle 4: Leave What You Find
Take only photographs – leave rocks, plants, flowers, and artifacts for others to enjoy.
Here are the basics to practice:
- Leave natural objects – flowers, rocks, etc. - where you find them. Our pollinators, birds, and other wildlife – as well as fellow explorers – will appreciate that.
- Removing cultural objects – arrowheads, pottery, even antique bottles – on public lands is illegal.
- Don’t build structures, furniture, or dig ditches. Cutting a pine bough to use as a sleeping pad creates minimum benefit and maximum impact.
- Avoid transferring/spreading invasive species. Clean your footwear, tents, bike tires, and packs often, and don’t bring firewood from home – that is one of the worst offenders for bringing disease and insects to a different region/area.
Why it's important:
Hanging hammocks, clotheslines, etc. on trees using nails can make them more susceptible to disease and damage. Use a strap that is at least 1-inch wide to avoid girding the tree and make sure it is substantial enough to bear the weight. Picking flowers, gathering sticks may seem insignificant – you're only going to take a few. What if every visitor only took a few – butterflies, bees, birds, and other wildlife would be without food and the explorers who come after you will be without the beautiful scenery created by the flowers, birds, and wildlife. It's a balancing act for all of us.
Principle 5: Minimize Campfire Impacts
Some can't imagine camping without a campfire – the warm feel, the golden light, the smell. Oh, we are there right now! But, some areas have been degraded from the overuse of fires, and outdoor spaces can be threatened by human activities with fires.
Here are a few basics to remember:
- Use established fire rings, pans, or mound fires where fires are permitted.
- Keep fires small and use only sticks from the ground that can be broken by hand (or purchase firewood locally).
- Burn all wood and coals to white ash. Put out campfires completely with water, then scatter the cool ashes.
Why it matters:
Keeping campfires under control is important, especially in the time since Hurricane Helene blew through the mountains. The downed trees on the forest floor make it easier for fires that get out of control to spread faster. Do not build fires on rock outcrops because the black scars will be visible for many years. When camping, be sure to check if there are burn bans in the area. In keeping with Leave No Trace ethics, when you are breaking camp, scatter any unused wood in the area to make it look as natural as possible.
Principle 6: Respect Wildlife
Watch from a distance and never feed wildlife. The wildlife video from this summer was the grandfather who was attacked by a bison in Yellowstone National Park. He and his grandson were approximately 100 yards away and had stopped to take a photo. In the meantime, the bison had become agitated and charged the two.
Here are the basics to practice:
- Observe wildlife from a distance (at least 50 yards or more) and do not follow or approach them.
- Never feed animals. Feeding wildlife alters their natural behaviors and may make them aggressive toward humans and other animals.
- Keep your pets under control at all times or leave them at home.
- Avoid wildlife during sensitive times like mating, nesting, raising young, or winter.
- If camping in an area where bears are present, never store your food in your tents. Food, toothpaste, deodorant, or anything with a scent should be stored in a bear canister, locker, or locked vehicle.
Here's why it's important:
Feeding wildlife can result in negative human/wildlife interactions and make wildlife more likely to frequent human areas like roadways, parks, and neighborhoods. As we observed in the Yosemite incident, wildlife can be unpredictable, even when seemingly unprovoked. To reduce the likelihood of a negative encounter, keep observation distances of 50-100 yards. During the fall, bears are focused on food and gaining their winter weight and male deers have one thing in mind – mating. These can make bears and deer highly unpredictable, so keep that in mind while in the backcountry or hiking your favorite trail. Keeping your distance will maintain the natural order of things with humans and wildlife having respect for each other's space.
Principle 7: Be Considerate of Others
It sounds like common sense, but it's always good to have reminders in case we forget. Outdoors is a shared space where we hope everyone will feel safe, welcomed, and will have experiences that cause them to want even more. Be kind to people you meet on the trail and at the campsite.
Here are the basics to practice:
- Respect others and the quality of their experience.
- Yield to other users on the trail.
- Greet riders on the trail and ask which side of the trail you should move to when encountering pack stock.
- Take breaks and camp away from the trail and others.
- Let nature’s sounds prevail – avoid loud voices and noises.
Why it matters:
Some people head outdoors to spend time with friends and family, while others want nature and their interaction with it to take center stage. Both can take place when mutual respect is practiced. Be mindful of noise levels. If you are listening to music, use an earbud in one ear to be aware of your surroundings, enjoy your music, and not interfere with others' experiences. Share the trail and remember to yield to those using assistive devices - as a reference, motorized vehicles (side by sides, 4-wheelers) yield to bicyclists, who yield to hikers, who yield to equestrians, with all yielding to those using assistive devices (motorized wheelchairs, etc.). It's always good to have a mix of people enjoying the outdoors together!
Leave No Trace 7 Principles: © Leave No Trace: www.LNT.org
Final Thoughts
The colors seem to be a little delayed this year, so you'll have a little more time to head outside to enjoy them. Practicing Leave No Trace Ethics will ensure that you will have a great time this year and explorers next year, next decade, and next century will have similar experiences in our favorite places. Let us see some of your favorite photos from the trail on social media using #FallFoliagePrimer to gather them together. See ya on the trail!