Intermountain Region

Leave No Trace - An Outdoor Ethic

More and more people are taking to trails to discover America. On foot or horseback, on mountain bikes or with a llama, there are vast expanses to be explored on public lands. This trend is not without some problems. Many popular areas are already overcrowded with evidence of people, horses, tents and campfires everywhere.

Back-country areas are places to seek solitude and a "wilderness experience" away from the crowds, noise and daily pressures of urban life. This escape should be accompanied by a commitment to protect and preserve these areas. Leave No Trace! practices are techniques that visitors can use to help reduce evidence of their presence in the back-country. By following this land ethic, visitors can enjoy back-country and congressionally appointed Wilderness Areas, while preserving beauty and solitude.

Leave No Trace - Guidelines

Leave No Trace! guidelines help protect the land and lessen the sights and sounds of your visit.

Because most visitors do not live outdoors, they unknowingly violate the Leave No Trace! ethic.