Outdoor Recreation

Each of us plays a vital role in protecting our parks and natural areas. As we spend time outdoors, in the natural world and in wilderness, it’s important to be conscious of the effects our actions may have on plants, animals, other people, and even entire ecosystems. Follow the Leave No Trace Principles, which are summarized below to cover the most applicable utilizations for our area. They can be applied anywhere, at any time, while taking part in recreational activities.

• Plan Ahead and Prepare
  • Know the regulations and special concerns for the area you'll visit.
  • Schedule your trip to avoid times of high use.
  • Visit in small groups when possible. Consider splitting larger groups into smaller groups.
  • Repackage food to minimize waste.
  • Use a map and compass or GPS and eliminate the use of marking paint or rock cairns.
• Dispose of Waste Properly
  • Pack it in, pack it out. Inspect your picnic area, food preparation areas, and rest areas for trash or spilled foods. Pack out all trash, leftover food and litter.
  • Utilize established toilet facilities at the park you are visiting.
  • Pack out toilet paper and hygiene products.
• Leave What You Find
  • Preserve the past: examine, photograph, but do not touch cultural or historic structures and artifacts.
  • Leave rocks, plants and other natural objects as you find them.
  • Avoid introducing or transporting non-native species.
  • Do not build structures, furniture, or dig trenches.
• Respect Wildlife
  • Observe wildlife from a distance. Do not follow or approach them.
  • Never feed animals. Feeding wildlife damages their health, alters natural behaviors, habituates them to humans, and exposes them to predators and other dangers.
  • Protect wildlife and your food by storing rations and trash securely.
  • Control pets at all times, or leave them at home.
  • Avoid wildlife during sensitive times: mating, nesting, raising young, or winter.
• Be Considerate of Other Visitors
  • Respect other visitors and protect the quality of their experience.
  • Be courteous and yield when needed to users you may encounter on trails.
  • Let nature's sounds prevail. Avoid loud voices and noises.

And for visitors who may be camping in our area:

• Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
  • Durable surfaces include maintained trails and designated campsites, rock, gravel, sand, dry grasses or snow.
  • 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:
      • Concentrate use on existing trails and campsites.
      • Walk single file in the middle of the trail, even when wet or muddy.
      • Keep campsites small. Focus activity in areas where vegetation is absent.
• Minimize Campfire Impacts
  • Where fires are permitted, use established fire rings, fire pans, or mound fires.
  • Keep fires small. Only use down and dead wood from the ground that can be broken by hand.
  • Burn all wood and coals to ash, put out campfires completely, then scatter cool ashes.

These principles were established by the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, and built on work by the US Forest Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Land Management in the mid-1980s.