Leave No Trace in Glacier National Park

Plan ahead and prepare

Adequate trip planning and preparation helps to accomplish trip goals safely, while minimizing impacts on the environment and on other users. Know the area and what to expect, including regulations and special concerns of the area. Bears may be present; balance safety concerns in bear country with ecological and social impact concerns. Select appropriate equipment to help you Leave No Trace. Repackage food into reusable containers, creating less trash to pack out.
Camp and Travel on durable surfaces

Whenever you travel and camp, confine your use to surfaces that are resistant to impact. Hike on existing trails to minimize disturbance to wildlife, soil and vegetation. Choose an established campsite, one with a slight slope so rain water can drain. Store food so that it is unavailable and uninviting to bears and small animals. Before departing, make sure your camp is as clean or cleaner than when you arrived.
Pack it in, Pack it out

Trash and garbage have no place in the backcountry. Pack out all of your liter. Repackage food into reusable containers and remove any excess packaging. Dispose of trash and garbage properly. Store food and odorous items in bear resistant food containers or hang items 10 feet above the ground.
Properly dispose of what you can't pack out

As visitors to the backcountry, we create certain kinds of waste which cannot be packed out. These include human waste, waste water from cooking and washing. Dispose of human waste responsibility, utilize pit toilets or dig a cat hole 200 feet from the water. Use toilet paper sparingly, pack it out in doubled plastic bags to confine odor. Minimize soap and food residues in waste water. Avoid contaminating water sources when washing, maintain 200 feet from a water source.
Leave what you find

The Wilderness Act states that wilderness "... is recognized as an area... where man himself is a visitor who does not remain,...with the imprint of man's work substantially unnoticeable..." Allow others a sense of discovery by leaving rocks, plants, archaeological artifacts antlers, and other objects as you find them. Minimize site alteration when camping, do not build structures. Avoid damaging live trees and plants. Avoid disturbing wildlife. Leave natural objects and cultural artifacts for others to enjoy. It is illegal to remove any cultural objects from any National Park. Cultural artifacts are protected by the Archaeological Resources Protection Act. All these "pieces of the past" contribute to our understanding of human and natural history, including the effects of disease, climate changes, and shifting animal populations on the land and her people. Removing these artifacts takes them out of context and removes a chapter from an important story. If you discover an artifact, enjoy it where it is. Leave it as you found it.
Minimize use and impact from fires

The use of campfires in the backcountry, once a necessity, is now steeped in history and tradition. Stoves are now essential equipment for minimum-impact camping trips because they are fast and eliminate firewood availability as a concern in campsite selection. Use dead and down wood only. In high use areas, build campfires in existing fire rings to concentrate impacts.

These principles and practices depend more on attitude and awareness than on rules and regulations; they must be based on a respect for and appreciation of wild places and their inhabitants.

You can find additional Glacier National Park information by clicking on the links below. Enjoy all that Glacier has to offer!

Leave No Trace in Glacier National Park

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