Leave No Trace

YOUR ACTIONS MATTER

Help Visit Cook County to preserve the natural world for generations to come by following the Leave No Trace principles! Leave No Trace is a prevention-based set of guidelines that educates people on how to use wild spaces ethically and sustainably.

The choices you make on your next visit to The North Shore, Gunflint Trail, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, or Superior National Forest will have an impact for years to come. It is up to you to decide if that impact is positive or negative.

7 Principles of Leave No Trace:

1. Plan Ahead and Prepare: You’re already planning! Find more planning tools on VisitCookCounty.com

2. Travel & Camp on Durable Surfaces: Mind where you hike or bike during the muddy season (when trails are most vulnerable).

3. Dispose of Waste Properly: Dispose of single-use face coverings and takeout containers in the proper receptacles. There is no poop fairy, pick it up and pack it out.

4. Leave What You Find: Cutting down live trees for firewood is not permissible. Firewood is offered for sale at many local establishments and roadside stands. To prevent invasive species, use only locally sourced firewood.

5. Minimize Campfire Impacts: Businesses, lives, wilderness, and your vacation could be ruined quickly by a forest fire. Please practice responsible campfire safety.

6. Respect Wildlife: Securing your food and waste properly is important--critters can become dependent on scavenging from humans, and these stories often end in sad circumstances.

7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors: When you practice the Leave No Trace principles, you are taking care of this beautiful space not just for yourself, but for others.