Leave No Trace principles
The seven principles for enjoying the outdoors without harming it, plus the kids' version Cub Scouts learn.
Scouts BSA, Cub Scouts, Venturing · 6 min
The seven principles
Leave No Trace is an outdoor ethics program used by Scouting America, land managers, and outdoor groups. Its seven principles turn "leave it better than you found it" into things you can actually do.
Plan Ahead and Prepare
Learn the rules and conditions for where you're going, plan meals so there's less trash, bring the right gear, and keep groups small. Good planning prevents most problems before they start.
Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
Stay on trails, even when they're muddy, and camp on rock, gravel, dry grass, or existing campsites. Plants trampled off-trail can take years to grow back.
Dispose of Waste Properly
Pack it in, pack it out: every wrapper, crumb, and scrap. Use toilets where they exist; where they don't, use a cathole well away from water, trails, and camp. Strain dishwater and scatter it far from streams.
Leave What You Find
Take pictures, not souvenirs. Leave rocks, plants, artifacts, and other natural things where they are so the next visitor can discover them too, and don't build structures or dig trenches.
Minimize Campfire Impacts
Use a camp stove for cooking when you can. If you have a fire, use an existing fire ring, keep it small, burn only dead and down wood you can break by hand, and put it completely out.
Respect Wildlife
Watch animals from a distance and never feed them — human food harms their health and teaches them to approach people. Store food and trash securely day and night.
Be Considerate of Other Visitors
Be polite on the trail, step aside for others, keep voices and music low, and camp away from other groups so everyone can enjoy the sounds of nature.
Leave No Trace Principles for Kids
Cub Scouts learn a version with simpler names. Each one matches one of the seven principles above.
Know Before You Go
Find out about the place, pack what you need, and make a plan with your family or den.
Choose the Right Path
Walk on trails and camp in places that are already used, so plants and flowers stay healthy.
Trash Your Trash
Put all your trash in a bag and take it home, and keep soap and food out of lakes and streams.
Leave What You Find
Look at rocks, plants, and other treasures, then leave them for the next person to enjoy.
Be Careful with Fire
Only an adult starts a fire. Use a fire ring, keep fires small, and help make sure they're all the way out.
Respect Wildlife
Watch animals quietly from far away, and never feed them.
Be Kind to Other Visitors
Share the trail, use quiet voices, and let everyone enjoy nature.
Putting it into practice
- Before a campout, pick one principle per patrol member and have each person watch for it during the trip.
- Repackage food at home into reusable bags so there's less trash to carry out.
- On the way out, do a "sweep" of the campsite in a line, picking up anything left behind.
- Compare the Outdoor Code with these principles: the code is the promise, the principles are how you keep it.
- Leave No Trace (opens in a new tab) — the nonprofit behind the principles, with free online courses
Where you'll use it
Requirements that call for this skill in 30 ranks, badges, and awards.
Keep learning
Explanations here are ours, written to help you learn. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.