Leave No Trace on their website, www.lnt.org, or by calling 800-332-4100. I believe that every family should adopt these principles as their personal outdoor creed. You will find these ideas repeated many times through this book.
Following the principles of Leave No Trace means leaving what you find, but picking the occasional blackberry is OK.
Principles of Leave No Trace
1. Know before you go: Be prepared with the right clothes and equipment. Know how you are going to camp and something about the area. Read Planning Your Trip.
2. Choose the right path: Stay on the trail. Do not walk on wildflower meadows or areas that have been marked for rehabilitation. Choose a campground that has the features you want, and, once you’re there, camp in a designated campsite. Read the sections Where Shall We Go?, and What if Someone is Lost?.
3. Trash your trash: Put all litter in trash cans or carry it home. Carrying it home is better than leaving it in camp; some park budgets have been cut so drastically that trash is not picked up as often as it should be. If there is no bathroom or outhouse, bury your poop in a hole 4 to 8 inches deep and 100 big steps from any stream or lake. (Leave No Trace assumes that a “big step” is 2 feet long, for a total of 200 feet away from water.) Carry your toilet paper out in a plastic bag. Keep water clean. Do not put soap, food, or any other waste in lakes or streams. Read the section What’s Life in Camp Really Like?.
4. Leave what you find: Here, I disagree a little bit with LNT guidelines. I think it’s OK to collect rocks on the beach and leaves or plant material that have already fallen, unless they are special plants, like cones from sequoia trees. Treat living plants with respect. Leave historical items as you found them so the next person can enjoy them. Don’t dig trenches or build structures in your campsite. Read the section What Should We Do for Fun?.
5. Be careful with fire: Before you build a campfire, check fire regulations and restrictions for the local area. Use a fire ring that’s already in place and keep your fire small. Do not take branches from living trees; collect only loose sticks on the ground. Be sure the fire is completely cold and out before you leave. Read the section called How Do We Cook in Camp?.
6. Respect wildlife: Observe animals from a distance and never approach, chase, or feed them. Human food is unhealthy for animals; feeding them will start them on bad habits. Store your food and trash so animals can’t get to them. Control pets at all times or leave them at home. Reread the paragraphs on animals in this section, and read the paragraphs in the relevant sections in What’s Life in Camp Really Like?, How Do We Cook in Camp?, and What Should We Do for Fun?.
7. Be kind to other visitors: Make sure the fun you have does not bother anyone else. Remember that other campers may be there to enjoy the peace and quiet of the outdoors. Avoid making loud noises or yelling. See the section on good manners in camp.
Learning about Campgrounds
When John Silverman was in pre-school, he was part of a group of children who were chosen to appear on a local children’s television program. He had watched this program many times. We took him to the studio, he looked around, and he said, “This isn’t what I thought it would be. Where is the little box?”
You and your children may have had a lot of conversations about camping, but the kids’ perceptions of what a campground is like may be a little bit skewed. It’s not your backyard! Try to find a park near your home that allows camping, and walk through it. Point out the fire pits, the picnic tables, and the platforms for tents or RVs. Show them the bathrooms or outhouses. If you’re going to be camping at a private campground, visit the KOA campground closest to your home. Look at their bathrooms, playgrounds, and pool, if there is one.
EXPERT’S ADVICE
Fun for Everyone
Everyone should have the opportunity to say what she or he would like to do while camping. When you’re finally in camp, make sure that you actually do at least one of the things that each person asked for. Hugh, who is 12, told me, “Before we went on the trip, it was important that my dad researched the area to see if it would be fun not only for us but for him, too.”
When you begin to plan the logistics of your camping trips, include the kids. Let them look at the maps of the states you will be visiting. Siblings can work together on this project. Even young pre-readers can find the little green trees or the red tents on the map that designate parks with camping. Older children can make lists of the parks they find.
When you send away for information about camping opportunities, ask to have the information sent to your kids’ names. They can have the thrill of a big packet of mail arriving just for them. If you have asked for material for children, they may find Junior Ranger or Smokey Bear pamphlets included. Young children can look at the pictures and all of you can talk about all the fun things you will do together. Make sure that everyone has the opportunity to say what she or he would like to do while camping.
Websites for Kids
Older kids can begin to research your camping trip on the web. If they go to www.50states.com, they can learn a lot about the state they will be visiting. If they go to the National Park Service site, www.nps.gov, they can learn about the national park, monument, seashore, historic site, or forest that you will be visiting.
They can also become Junior Rangers or WebRangers. Official Junior Rangers are programs in state and national parks, but your kids can learn about them before you leave home. Just go to www.nps.gov/learn/juniorranger.htm, or ask your browser for Junior Ranger. Or, if you go to the National Park Service’s website, www.nps.gov, first click on Interpretation and Education, and then click on GoZONE.
CHECKLIST
Websites for Kids
If you don’t have access to a computer, use your local library to research the states and the parks you will visit. Have your children call the office of the national
