Outdoor Skills
Responsible Travel on Public Lands
Stay on the path, pack it out, and treat closures as information, not a dare.
Trails and soils
Designated trails exist because vegetation and soils recover slowly. Cryptobiotic crust in the desert, alpine meadow at Paradise, lichen on Acadia granite—each is easy to destroy in a single footstep. Walk through mud on the trail rather than widening it.
Wildlife
Distance is the rule, not a suggestion for other people. Store food as the park requires. Elk on the South Rim, goats at Rainier, bison in Wyoming, rodents at every overlook: none of them want your snack.
Closures
Road closed means the road is closed. A social media post of someone else’s car is not clearance. Private property at the edge of public land is still private.
Connectivity
Do not rely solely on mobile coverage for navigation or rescue. Carry a map. Tell someone your plan. On longer or more remote days, consider a satellite messenger if you already know how to use it. A device is not a substitute for turning around in a storm.
Practical tips
- Read the park’s own ‘nps.gov’ pages. They are the current rules.
FAQ
Can I fly a drone for ‘just one shot’?
In US national parks, launching, landing, or operating unmanned aircraft is generally prohibited. Check current NPS regulations. Fines are not a photography budget line.