Leave No Trace

We've partnered with © Leave No Trace: www.LNT.org to keep the Keweenaw's wilderness, lakes and special places pristine. Please take a moment and get familiar with these principles so your visit will be safe and enjoyable while preserving the Keweenaw for future generations.

7 Principles

Plan Ahead & 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.
• Visit in small groups. Split larger parties into groups of 4 to 6.
• Repackage food to minimize waste.
• Use a map and compass to eliminate the use of marking paint, rock cairns, or flagging.

Travel & Camp on Durable Surfaces

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

In popular areas:

• Concentrate use on existing trails and campsites.
• Travel single file in the middle of the trail, even when wet or muddy.
• Keep campsites small. Focus activity in areas where vegetation is absent.

In pristine areas:

• Disperse use to prevent the creation of campsites and trails.
• Avoid places where impacts are just beginning.

Dispose of Waste Properly

• Pack it in, pack it out. Inspect your campsite and rest areas for trash or spilled food. Pack out all trash, leftover food, and litter.
• 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.
• Pack out toilet paper and hygiene products.
• 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

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

Respect Wildlife

• Observe wildlife from a distance. Do not follow or approach them.
• Never feed animals. 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.
• Control pets at all times, or leave them at home.
• Avoid wildlife during sensitive times: mating, nesting, raising young, or winter.

Be Considerate of Others

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

Our Partnership

Visit Keweenaw’s partnership with Leave No Trace is intended to create a culture which embodies leave no trace principles and enhances our communication to visitors as they plan their travels and experiences. At the end of the day, we hope that our visitors become world-class stewards and advocates of our lands and communities.

The partnership with Leave No Trace starts with a review of VisitKeweenaw.com, our social media channels and other area information resources we produce to identify opportunities to better incorporate leave no trace principles. Once the review is complete, Leave No Trace offers technical assistance, training, and messaging collateral to Visit Keweenaw for ongoing improvements. At this time, Visit Keweenaw is one of three Michigan destination marketing organizations partnering with Leave No Trace. The other two are Travel Marquette and Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau.