Leave No Trace

With increasing visitor use, both day and overnight, it is important to minimize our impacts and Leave No Trace of our visits to this special place. Trips that include awareness and minimum impact practices conserve natural conditions of the outdoors. Each of us plays a vital role as a steward for these special spaces. Thank you for doing your part to protect our natural world.

 

What is Leave No Trace?

Leave No Trace is a national program that protects the outdoors by teaching and inspiring people to enjoy it responsibly. The seven principles of Leave No Trace promote responsible outdoor recreation by building awareness, appreciation, and respect for public lands

1. Plan Ahead and Prepare

• Be prepared! Remember food and water. There is no potable water at the monument.
• Use maps and download NPS App on offline mode to plan where you’re going. Check your location along the way so you’ll stay on course and won’t get lost.
• Remember to bring a leash for your pet and plastic bags to pick up your pet’s waste.
• Learn about the areas you plan to visit. Check the park website for up to date information. Remember, bring a map!

2. Travel and Camp on Durable surfaces

• Hike and bike on designated trails.

• Do not step on or pick flowers and plants. Once damaged, they may not grow back.

• Camp only in designated campgrounds and lean-to sites. There is no backcountry or "out-of-bounds" camping.

3. Dispose of Waste Properly

• Pack it in, Pack it out. Put litter (including crumbs, peels and cores) in garbage bags and carry it home or to the nearest trash can. Do not rely on park trash cans as some trailheads and parking lots don’t have any.
• Check maps and NPS App to know where restrooms or vault toilets are before hiking. If not available, bury human waste in a small hole 6-8 inches deep and 200 feet or 70 big steps from water.
• Use a plastic bag to pack out your pet’s poop to a garbage can.

4. Leave What You Find

• Leave plants, rocks, and historical items as you find them so others can enjoy them. Do not alter the landscape.
• Treat living plants with respect. Picking, carving, hacking, peeling, parking, or stepping on plants may kill them.

5. Minimize Campfire Impacts

• Campfires can only be kindled with a valid Maine Forest Service campfire permit and only in designated locations such as established campsites and lean-tos.
• Check regulations and amenities at individual sites. Use only existing fire rings to protect the ground from heat. Keep your fire small. A free permit for all other sites is easily acquired prior to a visit by contacting the Maine Forest Service at 207-435-7963.
• Remember, a campfire isn’t a garbage can. Pack out all trash and food.
• Firewood should be bought from a local vendor. Don’t bring firewood from farther than 50 miles away – it can harbor tree killing insects and diseases. Many states regulate the movement of untreated firewood.
• Burn all wood to ash and be sure the fire is completely out and cold before you leave.
• When in doubt, use a camp stove for cooking. Stoves are easier to cook on and create less impact than a fire.

6. Respect Wildlife

• Observe wildlife from a distance.
• Never approach, feed, or follow them.
• Protect wildlife and your food by securely storing your meals and trash in hard sided containers or locked in your car. Keep your food secured in the metal bear food lockers.

Be Considerate of Other Visitors

• Be considerate when passing others on the hiking trails. Respect speed limits for bicycles.
• Federal law requires that all pets must be kept on a leash no longer than 6 feet. This helps protect your pet, other visitors, and wildlife.
• Listen to nature. Avoid making loud noises, yelling, or playing amplified music (including bird calls). You will see more wildlife if you are quiet.

Remember, everyone enjoys the outdoors differently!

 

To learn more, visit the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics website.