Leave No Trace (LNT)
Overview
Leave No Trace (LNT) is an outdoor ethics framework that promotes responsible recreational practices to minimize human impact on natural environments.
Key points
- Centers on seven principles guiding behavior in the outdoors.
- Emphasizes minimizing environmental disturbance and preserving natural resources.
- Widely adopted by land agencies, trail organizations, and outdoor educators.
- Applies to hiking, camping, cooking, waste disposal, and wildlife interaction.
Details
The Leave No Trace principles provide a universal ethic for sustainable outdoor recreation. They include planning ahead, traveling and camping on durable surfaces, disposing of waste properly, leaving natural and cultural features undisturbed, minimizing campfire impacts, respecting wildlife, and being considerate of other users. LNT encourages hikers to reduce their ecological footprint and maintain the integrity of natural spaces for future visitors.
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Illustrative hiking footage
The following external videos offer general visual context for typical hiking environments. They are not official route recommendations, safety instructions, or planning tools.