We are on a mission to visit all the national parks in the United States. And so far, we have visited 41! Every time we visit a new national park we are completely mesmerized! Each one is so unique and beautiful that it’s wild to us how diverse America is. How can the United States be home to parks like Yellowstone, Yosemite, Death Valley, Mount Rainier, Acadia, Congaree, Denali, Hawai’i Volcanoes and Glacier? All in the U.S. but yet all so very different from one another. That’s what truly makes America great. The diversity of the land, the rich history of the ever-changing landscapes, and the ecosystems that lives within.
But for us to continue to visit these beautiful parks all across America, then we must do everything in our power to protect them. Protect the land, the resources, the wildlife, the habitats, the ecosystems, and the rangers who keep it all afloat. We must protect our national parks. And here’s a few ways we the people can do that.
LEAVE NO TRACE
The “leave no trace” principle is the easiest, most common way to protect our national parks. It’s as simple as it states. LEAVE. NO. TRACE. Whether your hiking, camping, having a picnic, just visiting the visitors center, it doesn’t matter, what matters is that you leave no evidence that you were ever there.
GOING FOR A HIKE
Ways to implement the “leave no trace” principle when you’re on a hike is easy. Just be sure to pack out what you packed in. We have seen everything from underpants, sunglasses, gloves, t-shirts, binoculars, plastic water bottles, orange peels, banana peels, and pistachio shells on the trail. The park is not your trashcan. I’m sure a lot of this was maybe dropped by accident, but others were most definitely left there on purpose.
When it comes to gear, just be sure everything is tucked away in your pack. If the hike becomes too hot and you need to take off a layer, put it in your pack, not on a branch to grab on your way out. When it comes to food, EVERYTHING must be disposed of properly. That includes orange peels, banana peels, shells. Orane peels are often something we see left on the trail as most people think “It’s natural, it’s fine.” But even an orange peel can take up to 2 years to decompose! It doesn’t matter that these items grow on a bush or tree or in the ground. It is most likely uncommon to the area you are in, and many things can happen if we leave food scraps out. One, this will lead to food conditioning in the wildlife. Animals will be prone to invade the trails and campgrounds if they become used to eating human food. This becomes dangerous for the visitors as well as the wildlife. And two, food scraps can lead to unwanted pests, which can eventually lead to invasive species. So please pack out all food scraps!
Always do a double take after taking a break on your hike to make sure you have picked up all of your belongings. And Pro Tip: bring a small bag with you on hikes to pick up trash along the way!
HAVING A BATHROOM EMERGENCY
If you hike regularly, then you have probably had a bathroom emergency as some point on your trails. If you are new to hiking, then you should always be prepared for when nature calls.
To avoid this unfortunate situation, stop by the visitor center or trailhead bathroom before beginning your hike. During your hike, however, when you gotta go, you gotta go. Here’s a few tips for those emergent situations. One, always find a spot at least 200ft from any trail, campground, or water source. If you just have to pee, go about your business and then consider using a pee cloth, instead of toilet paper. This helps reduce waste, is antimicrobial, and reusable!
If you have to go poop while on the trail, then again always make sure you are at least 200ft from any trail, campground, and water source. The best practice is to pack your poop out. And in many cases is actually required. You can purchase a WAG bag (Waste Alleviation and Gelling) to help make packing your poop out easier! Or the other option is to dig a cathole. You’ll want to dig a hole about 6-8 inches deep, away from water, poop in the hole, and cover with dirt. If you wipe with nature’s toilet paper, you can bury that in the hole with your poop. If you use toilet paper or wipes, please be sure to pack that out! It can take years for those to decompose.
The easiest way to protect our national parks is by leaving no trace. ๐๐
KEEP YOUR DISTANCE FROM WILDLIFE
Seeing wildlife during your visit to a National Park is all a part of the experience, but it’s super important that we keep our distance. These are still wild animals.
A lot of parks, such as Yellowstone, are perfect if you’re looking for a national park with wildlife viewing! Because there’s a good chance you’ll see bison, wolves, bears or elk. But if we want to protect our national parks and everything in them, then it’s very important that we keep our distance, or know what to do on a rare occasion of running into wildlife on the trails.
If you encounter an animal on the trail, make sure you know the correct way to respond depending on the type of animal. Check out this post for helpful tips! If you encounter an animal on the road, stop and let them pass. Take a picture if you’d like, but do not hold up traffic. This can be dangerous and lead to accidents within the park.
At the end of the day, we are in their territory. Most of the time, the animals will move on and not think twice. But if we start to invade their space and make them feel threatened, we could be putting ourselves, and them in danger.
RESPECT MOTHER NATURE
We have the privilege to explore these beautiful national parks year-round. They provide the most epic hiking trails, scenic views, jaw-dropping forests, and unbelievable wildlife viewings. But at what cost to them? People trample over the tiny, unseen ecosystems, carve into the outer layers of trees, leave food scraps out that will eventually lead to killing a bear, and drain these areas of their natural resources. So, what are we to do?
Aside from the “leave no trace” principle, and keeping our distance from wildlife, we should also be respecting Mother Nature. That means staying on designated trails, not carving our initials into trees, keeping our hands to ourselves during a cave tour, and only taking home souvenirs from the gift shop. By taking petrified wood, pebbles, fossils, etc., you are only expediting erosion and contributing to the dismantling of the park’s already fragile ecosystem. It’s also illegal, so there’s that too.
We only get one Earth, and we must take care of her.
FOLLOW SAFETY GUIDELINES
Before we visit a national park, we always check out updates on the National Park Service website. We do this so we can be up to date on the latest trail closures, road closures, restoration projects, wildlife activity, wildfires, etc. The parks do a great job at keeping the public informed with what exactly is happening within the park. The rangers and staff members put a lot of effort into making sure all visitors have a great experience when visiting their national park and the least we can do is adhere to their safety guidelines.
If specific roads and trails are closed, simply do not go on them. If there are barricades preventing you from going all the way out to a ledge, simply stay behind the barricade. And if areas on a trail are closed due to restoration, simply stay on the designated trail.
Ways to protect our national parks can be as simple as reading a sign and adhering to it. They’re there for not only the safety of the visitors but also the safety of the wildlife and ecosystems around us.
MAKE DONATIONS
The last way to help protect our national parks is to donate our time and resources to them. Currently, our parks are being dismantled for their resources, they’re experiencing major budget cuts, and staff is being laid off. The long-term effects of this could be catastrophic for the National Parks as we know it. It’s now more important than ever that we stand up and fight for these beautiful parks that we get to visit. Here’s how we can help.
DONATE YOUR TIME
Our National Parks are always looking for volunteers. From front desk help to campground clean ups, tour guides, and more. There are never too many volunteers. You can register at volunteer.gov to find work near you!
OR you do little things by picking up trash on your hike, or making sure you are not contributing to destroying a bathroom facility. Little things can lead to big differences.
HELP FUND OUR NATIONAL PARKS
If donating your time isn’t an option, consider donating to your favorite park or contributing to The National Park Foundation. You can make a one-time payment, or a monthly payment depending on your budget. No dollar is too small. We can make a difference, and this will help protect our national parks, as well as those who maintain them.
SIGN A PLEDGE
A simple way to help protect our national parks is by signing a pledge. The National Parks Conservation Association has a pledge we can sign that show Americans stand with the parks. That we support the people who protect them, and the history behind them. So, stand with me and sign the pledge today!
PROTECT OUR NATIONAL PARKS
After visiting 41 national parks, I can honestly say that it has changed me. It’s changed the way I view the world. Nature is a part of me, as I am apart of nature. I don’t want to live on this land, but with the land. From the ocean to the forest, to the sky, nature is everywhere and it sure is beautiful. We’ve spent years exploring these parks, and one day we hope to take our kids to these parks. But we can’t do that if we suck these parks of their resources, displace wildlife from their natural habitats, and ignore climate change. We must protect our national parks at all costs. Who’s with me?
Meet the Travelers:
Adam & Paige Schwent
Hi! We’re Adam & Paige. We travel the states on travel therapy contracts. We share epic hikes, local spots, and fun excursions all over the U.S. If you’re interested in Travel PT or the amazing places we’ve visited, reach out!