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Leave No Trace

Leave the smallest footprint possible on your outdoor adventures



Modern Principles

A growing body of research suggests that it’s no longer sustainable to bury our waste in the wilderness

These foundational principles are more than 50 years old. We have three suggested updates for 2018.

Here’s how to be the best environmental steward possible when running during a global pandemic and after.

So don't beat yourself up about it

A thru-hiker’s best tips for decreasing your garbage

As crowds grow and parks reach capacity, responsible national-park travel is more important than ever. Here’s how to leave a lighter footprint, according to rangers.

Wherever you explore, summer adventures shine brighter when we do our part to travel sustainably and responsibly

Pet waste has become a major pollutant, both outdoors and at home

Outside’s ethics guru on what counts as nature

Our guru weighs in on the ethics of defacing a man-made blight

Going zero waste is hard, but these easy changes to how you eat, drink, and store food will make a big difference

Crowd Control

A program called Malama Hawaii is connecting hotel and restaurant visitors with environmental nonprofits to tackle the state’s mounting plastic-pollution problem

Anticipating even bigger crowds this summer than last, public-lands officials have been grappling with how to manage the masses. For many, that’s meant introducing permit systems. But is limiting access the only solution?

A shortage of places to camp is hurting the environment and limiting diversity in the outdoors. But there are some innovative solutions on the table.

A group of hired caretakers, called ridgerunners, are working to protect America’s favorite wilderness footpath from the hordes of people who walk it each year

One Person Makes a Difference

I tallied the waste I created for a month of my thru-hike. It was embarrassing. Now I know how to begin fixing it.

Edgar McGregor started cleaning up Eaton Canyon near Los Angeles in May 2019, and he didn’t stop until it was spotless nearly two years later. We talked to McGregor about how to stay motivated to take care of the earth.

After taking a critical eye to the amount of food she was throwing away, one writer realized things needed to change