Rules of the Road: Leave No Trace & Other Principles

When you travel often, you see a lot of broken rules of the road that make you cringe. Litter and messes of all kind are strewn across campgrounds and trails. You may see people feeding wildlife or getting a little too close to animals for a selfie. There are many reasons why these behaviors and habits are a problem, but how do you know if you’re doing your best to leave no trace behind?

Here are several things to think about before heading out to the next campground that will keep Nature, wildlife, and you safe!

First, we’ll start with Leave No Trace principles. There are seven different things to remember when you head out on your travels.

Leave No Trace Principles:

1. Plan Ahead and Prepare

2. Travel and Camp on Durable Ground

3. Dispose of Waste Properly

4. Leave What You Find

5. Minimize the Effects of Fire

6. Respect Wildlife and Farm Animals

7. Be Considerate of Others

1. Always plan ahead and prepare.

Instead of heading to a campground without trash bags to clean up after yourself, always plan and prepare ahead of time. The easiest way to do this is to make a checklist of the usual things you need to ensure that you don’t leave anything behind after you’ve left the campground or public land area.

2. Only travel and camp on solid ground.
There are several reasons why you should only find yourself on durable surfaces when you travel. Erosion does enough work on its own to destroy paths and pavement. Some areas may be zoned off for replanting or revival. Camp at least a few hundred feet of water sources to ensure you don’t cause any damage to the environment for wildlife or plants.

When you camp on solid ground, you are making it easier for wildlife to stay clear of your area while also keeping you safe. You’ll keep the environment around in pristine condition, too, which leaves it in good condition for generations to come.

3. Pack it in, pack it out.
Never EVER leave your trash behind. When you decide to bring in food items, it’s especially important to have a way to dispose of them away from the outdoors and campsites to avoid attracting wildlife. If you leave your food items or wrappers out, you are bound to attract wildlife which can be harmful to the prosperity of large predators in your area. It can also be a huge safety area for travelers who come behind you. Always remember to take what you brought with you back out.

Related Read: Disposing of Trash While Boondocking

4. Never take anything.
This may seem silly to some, but leaving whatever you find in its proper place is the best way to ensure that animals and plants will continue to go along their business. Taking a fallen feather or rocks can be tempting at times, as they make great souvenirs, but you could be messing with the way Mother Nature works for animals and plants in the area. Adding your scent to things, taking items from the environment, or leaving things behind that are alien to the area can put life cycles at risk, as well as make it more difficult for other travelers to visit the same areas without strict policies.

5. Always double check your fire.
Campfires are always a fun time, but they can become pretty unfun very quickly. Any time you have a fire, be sure that you take the time to ensure that it is fully out. Never leave a fire unattended and ALWAYS ensure you are starting fires in areas that fires are allowed, never anywhere else. Just like Smokey always says, “Only you can prevent wildfires.”

6. Respect all animals and their homes.
Wildlife is such a difficult topic for many as the love for animals and our modern lives can sometimes make the line between pet and wild animal unclear. But no matter where you go if you are in a new environment that you are unfamiliar with, you should always give wildlife plenty of space. Never feed or touch wildlife in the wilderness or around campgrounds as it can lead to injury or death for either you or the animal. Sure feeding a bird isn’t the end of the world, but you should always consider how you are retraining animals from their natural habits. You can make it more difficult for these animals to live independently.

Related Read: Wildlife 101: Encountering Animals in the Wild

7. Treat others as you want to be treated.
At the end of the day, we’ve all experienced rowdy campers or inconsiderate litterers. It’s not enjoyable to clean up after someone else, get injured due to another person’s negligence, or simply be treated badly. Always do your best to do what you expect of others to do when you travel or else these lands, places, attractions, and wildlife we love may no longer be accessible to us during our travels.

Here are a few other things that pertain specifically to RVers that you may not know and should keep in mind when traveling, too:

Solid Waste & Illegal Dumping: We all need to dump our septic tanks sometime, but dumping them on public lands is a big no-no. If you are looking for dump sites, many RV sites and campgrounds offer at least one area for dumping solid waste. If you must use the bathroom outdoors, please remember to dig a hole for your solids and recover them again.

Paving Your Own Way: We all have seen the photos of crazy cool camping and RVing spots, but some of these areas were not specifically designated for camping or boondocking. Never “pave your own way” when you decide to set up camp. Always make sure you are parked in designated areas and not damaging the area around you.

For Generations to Come
Traveling frequently means we have a bigger responsibility than most to keep the world’s most beautiful places beautiful. We make a bigger mark on the world by going and doing, so it’s also our obligation to clean up after ourselves and leave these places in the best condition for future generations. Traveling is a privilege and many areas have experienced turmoil due to tourists, but these are some of the most simple ways to ensure you do your part along the way.