Leave No Trace is a program which helps those who love the outdoors make decisions which reduce their impacts on the cultural and natural landscape. Leave No Trace "is best understood as an educational and ethical program, not as a set of rules and regulations."

The Leave No Trace program provides guidelines for minimizing impact on the landscape:

1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
2. Travel (and Camp**) on Durable Surfaces
3. Dispose of Waste Properly
4. Leave What You Find
5. (Minimize Campfire Impacts**)
6. Respect Wildlife
7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors

** Camping and campfires are not permitted at Monocacy National Battlefield. 

Here are some tips adapted from Leave No Trace to make your visit to Monocacy more enjoyable.

Plan Ahead and Prepare

• Know the regulations and special concerns for the area you'll visit.
• Prepare for extreme weather, hazards, and emergencies.  

Travel on Durable Surfaces

• Durable surfaces include established trails, rock, gravel, dry grasses or snow. 

Dispose of Waste Properly

• "Pack it in, pack it out." Monocacy National Battlefield is a trash free park, so please pack out all trash, leftover food, and litter.

Leave What You Find

• Preserve the past: examine, 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.

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.
• Keep pets on a leash at all times.
• Avoid wildlife during sensitive times: mating, nesting, raising young, or winter.

Be Considerate of Other Visitors

• Respect other visitors and protect the quality of their experience.
• Be courteous. Yield to other users on the trail.
• Let nature's sounds prevail. Avoid loud voices and noises