Sharing the Trail: Leave No Trace Principle 7, Be Considerate of Others

You pictured a quiet hike alone in nature — then you reach the trailhead and the lot is nearly full: hikers, mountain bikers, people on horseback. How will everyone share the trail, and still enjoy it?

National parks see over 300 million visits a year. That's a lot of people sharing public lands, and everyone can help make sure all have the same chance to enjoy them. The outdoors are for everyone.

Crowds like these are common on popular trails such as Angels Landing in Zion National Park. NPS

Be considerate of other visitors is the seventh of the 7 Leave No Trace principles, which help you leave nature as unchanged by your visit as possible — protecting it, and yourself, for generations to come.

What you can do

Follow the yield triangle

The yield triangle sets out who gives way on a shared trail:

Rules can differ by place. Talk to people: say hello, and ask before you pass.

Keep the noise down

Noise affects the people around you and the wildlife that live there. Skip the music, keep big groups quiet, and let everyone enjoy the sounds of nature.

Take breaks off the trail, on a durable surface

Step aside onto a large rock, a patch of leaf litter or pine needles, or a sandy riverbank — somewhere your group won't damage plants or cause erosion, and others can get by.

Plan around the busiest times

Many parks peak in certain seasons, during events, or at certain times of day. Avoiding those makes everything from parking to finding a campsite easier. Some parks or areas need a reservation or timed-entry permit at busy times — check the park's website before you go.

People enjoy nature in different ways — mountain biking among them. NPS/Andrew Kuhn

We're all in this together

Everyone is out there to connect with nature, learn about history, or simply enjoy the natural world. We share an interest in protecting these places, even if we enjoy them differently.

Being considerate isn't only for the trail: learn how to respect others while camping and when you bring a pet, in Leave No Trace's guide to principle 7. And pass it on — share what you've learned so others can help too.

More in the I Didn't Know That! Leave No Trace series · previous: Principle 6, Respect Wildlife · all I Didn't Know That! topics.

Sources

Based on "I Didn't Know That!: Leave No Trace Principle #7 - Be Considerate of Others," developed with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, National Park Service; a work of the United States government in the public domain; rewritten in hubnx's own words.