Leave No Trace
Enjoying Puerto Rico's trails comes with a responsibility to protect them. The seven Leave No Trace principles help every hiker minimize their impact so these natural spaces stay wild and beautiful for generations to come.
The 7 Principles
Plan Ahead and Prepare
Know the regulations and special concerns for the area you'll visit. Prepare for extreme weather, hazards, and emergencies. Schedule your trip to avoid times of high use, and visit in small groups when possible. Good planning helps you have a safer trip and reduces damage to natural and cultural resources.
Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
Stick to established trails and campsites. Durable surfaces include rock, gravel, dry grasses, or snow. Walk single file in the middle of the trail, even when wet or muddy, to avoid widening it. In popular areas, concentrate use on existing trails; in pristine areas, disperse use to prevent the creation of new trails and campsites.
Dispose of Waste Properly
Pack it in, pack it out. Inspect your rest and snack spots for trash or spilled food, and pack out all trash, leftover food, and litter. Deposit human waste properly — and far from water sources, camps, and trails — and pack out toilet paper and hygiene products. Never leave anything behind, no matter how small.
Leave What You Find
Preserve the past: observe, but do not touch, cultural or historic structures and artifacts. Leave rocks, plants, and other natural objects as you find them. Avoid introducing or transporting non-native species. Do not build structures, furniture, or dig trenches.
Minimize Campfire Impacts
Campfires can cause lasting impacts to the environment. Use a lightweight stove for cooking and enjoy a candle lantern for light whenever possible. Where fires are permitted, use established fire rings, keep fires small, burn only small sticks that can be broken by hand, and burn all wood to ash before completely putting out the fire.
Respect Wildlife
Observe wildlife from a distance and never follow or approach animals. Never feed them — feeding wildlife damages their health, alters natural behaviors, and exposes them to predators and other dangers. Protect wildlife and your food by storing rations and trash securely, and control pets at all times or leave them at home.
Be Considerate of Other Visitors
Respect other visitors and protect the quality of their experience. Be courteous, yield to other users on the trail, and let nature's sounds prevail — avoid loud voices and noises. Take breaks and camp away from trails and other visitors so everyone can enjoy the outdoors.
Small actions, lasting impact
Every hiker who follows these principles helps keep Puerto Rico's trails, forests, and reservations healthy and open for future explorers. Share what you learn here with your fellow hikers, Scouts, and family.
The Leave No Trace Seven Principles have been reprinted with the permission of the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. For more information, visit www.LNT.org.