When in Doubt, Step It Out! (and a couple more Camping tips)
When it comes to campsite selection, it’s all about committing a bit of extra effort so that we can experience a little solitude, help our fellow visitors experience solitude, and ensuring our camp minimizes adverse effects on water quality, wildlife, plant life and soils.
We ask that you always camp well away from the edge of streams and lakes, at least 100 good steps, but even further is better! Your effort here goes a long ways towards keeping our water clean, protecting sensitive soils and vegetation, and giving wildlife free access to drink! “When in Doubt, Step It Out!”
I know we mentioned it before, but kind of an important point here: Finding good campsites is rarely convenient and takes a little extra time and effort, which is something to keep in mind when you’re exhausted after a long day on the trail.
Keep in mind that good campsites are found, not made. When you find the right site, there is no need to modify anything!
Pick a good durable surface to pitch your tent on and avoid that easily trampled, sensitive vegetation and those really soft soils! If you’re in a popular area, those previously used sites that are a good distance away from water are fantastic and will help avoid creating new sites.
Please be careful with campfires and with the scarce high alpine vegetation, don’t build campfires above timberline. It’s also cool to build a fire on mineral soil, keep your fires small, and if you do, no fire ring necessary!
When you’re leaving your site for the last time, feel good when you look back and see that site is clean, free of trash, unchanged, untrampled and the next wanderer can hardly tell that you were there!
PLEASE be aware of local guidelines related to campsite selection.
Hike the proper distance away from water and trails, THEN look for a hardened site.
“When in Doubt, Step It Out!” 100 Steps or More, Please and Thank You!!