The mission of the Leave No Trace (LNT) program is to promote and inspire responsible outdoor recreation. LNT seeks to educate non-motorized recreationists on how and why to minimize their impacts while enjoying public lands, a goal that becomes increasingly important as America's recreation lands are being used and enjoyed by more and more people.LNT espouses 8 princliples around which the minimum-impact ethic has been built.

1. Plan Ahead and Prepare: Proper trip planning and preparation helps hikers and campers achieve trip goals safely and enjoyably while minimizing damage to natural and cultural resources. Poorly prepared campers, concerned with unexpected situations, often resort to high-impact solutions that degrade the outdoors or put themselves at risk.
Poor planning often results in:

• High-risk travel because campers failed to obtain information containing geography and weather.
• Improperly located campsites because groups failed to plan enough time to reach their intended destination.
• Improper campfires or excessive trash because of failure to plan meals or bring proper equipment.

2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces: Damage to land occurs when surface vegetation or communities of organisms are trampled beyond repair. The resulting barren area leads to unusable trails, campsites and soil erosion.
Should you concentrate activity, or spread out?

• In high-use areas, campers should gently concentrate activity. Use trails whenever possible and select camp sites so heavily used that further damage is unlikely.
• In areas of very little or no use, campers should gently spread out. Take different paths when hiking off trail to avoid creating new trails that cause erosion. When camping, disperse tents and cooking equipment and move camp daily to avoid creating permanent-looking camp sites.

Note: These guidelines apply to most alpine settings and may be different for other areas, like deserts. Check if unsure.3. Pack it In, Pack it Out: There is no reason why people cannot carry out of the backcountry the extra materials which they carried in with them in the first place. Trash and litter detract from an area's naturalness.

4. Properly Dispose of What You Can't Pack Out: Backcountry users create body waste and waste water which requires proper disposal.

• Waste water: Disperse dishwater far away from springs, streams, and lakes. Minimize the need to pack out food scraps by carefully planning meals. Avoid the use of soap.
• Human waste: Proper human waste disposal prevents spread of disease, exposure to others, and speeds decomposition. Catholes, 6 to 8" deep and 200 ft. from water, are often the easiest and most practical way to dispose of feces.

5. Leave What You Find: Allow others a sense of discovery; leave rocks, plants, archaeological artifacts and other objects as found.

• Minimize Site Alterations. Do not dig tent trenches or build lean-tos, tables or chairs. Avoid hammering nails into trees, hacking at them with hatchets or saws, or damaging bark and roots by tying horses to trees for extended periods. If you clear an area of rocks or twigs, replace these items before leaving. On high-impact sites, it is appropriate to clean the site and dismantle user-built facilities, such as multiple fire rings and log seats or tables. Good campsites are found and not made.

6. Minimize Use and Impact of Fire: Some people would not think of camping without a campfire. Yet, the naturalness of many areas has been degraded by overuse of fires and increasing demand for firewood.

• Lightweight camp stoves are essential for low-impact camping and have engaged a shift away from fires. Stoves are fast and eliminate firewood availability as a camp site selection concern.
• If building a fire, the most important consideration is the potential for damage. The best place to build a fire is within an existing fire ring in a well-placed campsite.
• Choose not to have a fire in areas with little wood at higher elevations, in heavily used areas, or in desert settings. True LNT fires show no evidence of having ever been constructed.

7. Respect Wildlife: Learn about wildlife through quiet observation. Observe wildlife from a distance so they are not scared or forced to flee. Quick movements and loud noises are stressful to animals. Travel quietly and do not pursue, feed or force animals to flee. Allow animals free access to water sources by giving them the buffer space they need to feel secure.

8. Be Considerate of Other Visitors: One of the most important components of outdoor ethics is to maintain courtesy toward other visitors. It helps everyone enjoy their outdoor experience. Many people come to the outdoors to listen to nature. Excessive noise, unleashed pets and damaged surroundings take away from everyone's experience.