The Leave No Trace principles are simple but important: leave the places you visit outdoors the same, or better, than you found them. Randolph County is a Leave No Trace partner, and we practice these easy steps on every hiking, walking, biking, and backpacking trip. 

Visit the I73/74 Visitors Center before your trip to receive Leave No Trace Tags and information on Randolph County. 

 Deep River State Trail by Matador Network

To make sure the places you cherish are left for others to enjoy, please follow these seven rules when you adventure in the great outdoors:

Plan Ahead and Prepare

  1. Know the regulations and special concerns for the area you’ll visit.
  2. Prepare for extreme weather, hazards, and emergencies.
  3. Schedule your trip to avoid times of high use.
  4. Visit in small groups when possible. Consider splitting larger groups into smaller groups.
  5. Repackage food to minimize waste.
  6. Use a map and compass to eliminate the use of marking paint, rock cairns or flagging.

Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

  1. Durable surfaces include established trails and campsites, rock, gravel, dry grasses or snow.
  2. Protect riparian areas by camping at least 200 feet from lakes and streams.
  3. Good campsites are found, not made. Altering a site is not necessary.

Dispose of Waste Properly

  1. Pack it in, pack it out. Inspect your campsite and rest areas for trash or spilled foods. Pack out all trash, leftover food, and litter.
  2. Deposit solid human waste in catholes dug 6 to 8 inches deep at least 200 feet from water, camp, and trails. Cover and disguise the cathole when finished.
  3. Pack out toilet paper and hygiene products.
  4. To wash yourself or your dishes, carry water 200 feet away from streams or lakes and use small amounts of biodegradable soap. Scatter strained dishwater.

Leave What You Find

  1. Preserve the past: examine, but do not touch, cultural or historic structures and artifacts.
  2. Leave rocks, plants and other natural objects as you find them.
  3. Avoid introducing or transporting non-native species.
  4. Do not build structures, furniture, or dig trenches.

Minimize Campfire Impacts

  1. Campfires can cause lasting impacts to the backcountry. Use a lightweight stove for cooking and enjoy a candle lantern for light.
  2. Where fires are permitted, use established fire rings, fire pans, or mound fires.
  3. Keep fires small. Only use sticks from the ground that can be broken by hand.
  4. Burn all wood and coals to ash, put out campfires completely, then scatter cool ashes.

Respect Wildlife

  1. Observe wildlife from a distance. Do not follow or approach them.
  2. Never feed animals. Feeding wildlife damages their health, alters natural behaviors, and exposes them to predators and other dangers.
  3. Protect wildlife and your food by storing rations and trash securely.
  4. Control pets at all times, or leave them at home.
  5. Avoid wildlife during sensitive times: mating, nesting, raising young, or winter.

Be Considerate of Other Visitors

  1. Respect other visitors and protect the quality of their experience.
  2. Be courteous. Yield to other users on the trail.
  3. Step to the downhill side of the trail when encountering pack stock.
  4. Take breaks and camp away from trails and other visitors.
  5. Let nature’s sounds prevail. Avoid loud voices and noises

 Photo by Piedmont Legacy Trail

Take a deeper dive into how to put these principles into practice, and learn how you can help, at www.LNT.org.

Don't forget to visit the I73/74 Visitors Center before your trip to receive Leave No Trace Tags and information on Randolph County. 

© Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics: www.LNT.org

 
Leave No Trace: Randolph County Trails is an official Leave No Trace partner

Please Remember

Always leave no trace, pack out everything you pack in, and if you see trash, pick it up and pack it out.

Stay on the marked trail, tell someone where you're going, pack safety and wayfinding essentials, and don't rely on a mobile phone to find your way. Please always practice good trail etiquette. Before you go, always check the trailhead kiosk, official maps, and the park or ranger office for notices of changed routes, trail closures, safety information, and restrictions.