Leave No Trace Principles

Arizona’s landscapes are stunning... and fragile. Whether you’re exploring the red rocks, saguaro deserts, high alpine forests, slot canyons, or remote tribal lands, please following Leave No Trace principles to ensure these places stay beautiful for generations to come.

1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
Arizona’s terrain is diverse and extreme at times. Weather can shift quickly, water sources are limited, and trail distances often feel farther under the desert sun. Know your route, check conditions, always let someone know where you are going, and bring plenty of water and emergency supplies.

2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
Arizona’s soil is incredibly delicate, especially in desert regions where cryptobiotic soil crusts help prevent erosion. That's why it's so important to stay on marked trails, avoid wandering onto vegetation or fragile surfaces, and camp only in designated areas with durable ground like rock, sand, or gravel. Every step off trail can damage microorganisms that took decades to form.

3. Dispose of Waste Properly
Pack it in, Pack it out. This means every tissue, water bottle, and piece of trash that you bring adventuring needs to also leave with you and not be left behind. Many remote areas have limited trash services so be prepared to carry your trash with you for miles. If you’re camping, know the rules for human waste disposal and use restrooms or wag bags where required.

4. Leave What You Find
Arizona is filled with cultural sites, unique rock formations, and desert plant life. Admire them, photograph them, but leave them exactly as they are. Never carve into rocks or trees, disturb pottery shards, take plants, or rearrange stones. These landscapes hold both ecological and cultural significance.

5. Minimize Campfire Impact
Wildfire danger is high across Arizona and the southwest for much of the year. Fire restrictions are common, so always check the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management for current conditions before lighting a fire. If fires are allowed, keep them small, never leave them unattended, fully extinguish them, and ensure ashes are cold before you leave. One careless spark can shut down trails, destroy habitat, and endanger entire communities.

6. Respect Wildlife
From bighorn sheep and javelinas to rattlesnakes, Gila monsters, and rare desert birds, Arizona’s wildlife is incredible to observe, but only from a distance. Never approach, touch, feed, or pick up wild animals. Many are protected, and some can be very dangerous. Give them space to stay wild.

7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors
Arizona’s trails are shared by hikers, mountain bikers, and travelers from around the world. Keep noise low (no bluetooth speakers blasting music), leash your pets where required, yield appropriately (uphill hikers get the right of way in most situations), and share the trail with patience and courtesy. A friendly hello can go a long way, you never know what recommendations you might swap along the way.