PAID FOR BY COLORADO TOURISM OFFICE
There’s nothing quite like the natural beauty of Colorado; but enjoying our great outdoors means taking care of it, too. Whether you’re a beginner or a professional explorer ready to hit the trails, here are 9 essential tips on how to keep those trails clean.
Trash the trash. By leaving our trails better than you found them, you’ll be ensuring that our parks stay beautiful for generations to come. Whether it is yours or from a stranger, picking up trash along the trail is the best way to show your appreciation for nature. Repurpose your left-over plastic grocery bags by bringing them on hikes to conveniently pack out waste by grabbing the trash through the bag, turning it inside out and tying it off. This way you aren’t touching the waste directly.
Pack it in, pack it out. The simplest rule to remember is to leave with what you came with. If you packed a bag of chips for lunch, toss the wrapper back into your bag. Keeping the trails clean is vital if we want to enjoy the great Colorado wilderness for years to come.
Small litter is still litter. It is hard to miss a plastic water bottle walking through the mountains, but some trash is easy to overlook. Micro trash like the edges of candy wrappers, cigarette butts, and single-use bottle caps can have a big impact on the environment. Help save our wildlife from accidentally ingesting or getting caught in this type of micro-trash by being sure to pick it up whenever you see it.
Don’t forget. If you leave your trash–or pet waste–bag on the ground to pick up on your way out, there’s a chance you’ll forget it or take a different route back. Carry out your waste to ensure clean trails and a positive experience for all who come after you.
Dig a cathole. We’re human, which means we have basic functions that can be an inconvenience while hiking. When nature calls, find privacy 70 steps from water, trails and campsites, dig a 6- to 8-inch hole and then bury your business. Disguise the hole by covering it with dirt when finished and be sure to pack out used toilet paper and wipes whenever possible to minimize your impact on the environment.
Keep the water clean. Jumping into a lake or stream for a swim after a long hike can sound refreshing, but think twice. Are you wearing lotion, sunscreen, perfume, deodorant or bug repellant? If so, staying out of the water is the best solution to reduce contamination and keep our waters pristine.
Minimize soap contamination. If you stopped and made yourself something to eat and need to wash your dishes, make sure to do this at least 200 feet away from streams and lakes. Along with this, use only a small amount of biodegradable soap and scatter the dishwater to ensure it is not going into the streams.
Don’t start the fire! Burning your trash is not the answer. Although it may seem like the easier option to get rid of waste and not have to carry your trash, it can lead to wildfires and expose toxic fumes. These are harmful not only to you, but to all of the other plants and animals in the natural environment.
Make it a game! Picking up trash is not only an essential task, it can be a rewarding one. If you are traveling with young ones, turn it into a scavenger hunt! Whoever cleans up the most trash gets a prize. Sometimes a friendly competition gets the job done.
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