Leave No Trace 7 Step Mini Guide

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One of the greatest gifts we have is the outdoors, but it comes with responsibility. The wide open trails, the lofty mountains, the quiet forests, the fresh air – it requires us to be intentional to preserve all the wonder not only for ourselves but for future generations. With millions of people recreating and visiting wild spaces each year, it’s more important than ever before to care for these environments. And it’s as simple as the 7 steps of Leave No Trace. Don’t forget to save your FREE Leave No Trace checklist below!

What is Leave No Trace?

Plan Ahead and Be Prepared
Travel, Hike, and Camp on Durable Surfaces
Dispose of Waste Properly
Leave It The Way You Found It
Minimize Campfire Impacts
Respect Wildlife
Be Considerate of Other Visitors

Leave No Trace (also referred to as LNT) is a simple, 7 part, practical framework that helps outdoor recreationists, including hikers, campers, climbers, and more, to minimize the impact and “footprint” on the outdoors. The good thing is you don’t need special training, a lengthy book, a technical course, or expensive gear to implement and practice Leave No Trace. You just need intentionality, awareness, and respect to build these 7 habits of Leave No Trace into your regular recreational routine. It’s a simple way to preserve the great outdoors for the future.

Below is a mini guide to help you practice LEAVE NO TRACE (LNT) on your next adventure—plus a Leave No Trace checklist you can save for later.

Disclosure: Below are some affiliate links-these are all products I highly recommend. I won’t make any recommendations on this page that I haven’t tested or personally used! Enjoy this mini guide to Leave No Trace.

Table of Contents

The 7 Steps of Leave No Trace

The 7 Steps of Leave No Trace are:

Plan Ahead and Prepare
Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
Dispose of Waste Properly
Leave What You Find
Minimize Campfire Impacts
Respect Wildlife
Be Considerate of Other Visitors

🌄 1. Plan Ahead and Be Prepared

The more prepared you are, the less you’ll cause unnecessary waste or trail damage in an emergency.

Know the rules and regulations of the area
Always check the weather before heading out
Have the right gear (including the “10 Essentials” for hikers) and enough food and water
Avoid peak times when possible to avoid crowding and potential damage

Planning helps you stay safe while protecting natural spaces.

Always check the weather before going outdoors — *Be prepared by always checking the weather beforehand*

🥾 2. Travel, Hike, and Camp on Durable Surfaces

Stick to:
✔ established trails
✔ designated or well-used campsites

Always stay on established trails and do not “shortcut”, or wander off trail. This can cause damage to fragile plants and ecosystems, as well as cause erosion. Camp in used sites and avoid creating new ones.

🗑️ 3. Dispose of Waste Properly

The rule is simple:
PACK IT IN, PACK IT OUT.

Bring a small bag for trash
Pack items that minimize trash (check out some of the best backpacking snacks and meals here).
Pack out human waste, toilet paper, trash, and food scraps (even fruit and vegetable scraps).
Use restrooms or dig a 6–8 inch cat hole for human waste. Pack out used toilet paper.

🌼 4. Leave It The Way You Found It

It might be tempting to pick a beautiful flower, but hopefully our parents all taught us to do better when we were younger! Leave flowers, rocks, logs, etc., in their wild places (unless they are causing a dangerous hazard). Even small removals like rocks and flowers can add up over time. Don’t remove, but also don’t alter (such as rock cairns).

Leave it be:

rocks
sticks/logs
plants/flowers
historical objects
wildlife habitats

🔥 5. Minimize Campfire Impacts

When possible, use a camping stove—it cooks faster and leaves no trace.

If you do make a fire:

Use established fire rings
Keep fires small
Burn only local wood
Never leave fires unattended
Put out your fire completely

Careless campfires can easily become forest fires.

🦌 6. Respect Wildlife

You’re visiting their home, not the other way around.

Always watch from a safe distance
Never approach wildlife
Never feed wildlife (even seemingly “healthy” foods)
Secure food and trash
Keep pets controlled

Human food can harm wildlife in multiple ways, and it disrupts their natural behavior.

*Observe wildlife from a safe distance, like these bison at Wind Cave National Park, and never approach or feed!*

😊 7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors

Everyone deserves an equal opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. Be courteous of other visitors.

Keep voices low and music minimal
Yield to uphill hikers when hiking on trails
Give others space at viewpoints and don’t hoard photo spots
Be kind, patient, and considerate of others. People of all different backgrounds enjoy the outdoors together.

A respectful trail community makes the outdoors better for everyone.

You can print this and stick it in your backpack, glovebox, or camp tote.