How To Be Responsible When Hiking

Responsible and sustainable travel has been an important issue in tourism due to many damages caused by irresponsible ways people do when travelling. Many people start to be aware of the importance of it. However, most of them do it only when they are on a long trip. Meanwhile, responsibility is not exclusive to long travel, trip, or holiday. Even if you plan a simple hiking, you can practice responsible approaches to ensure you won’t cause any damage to the environment. 

How To Be Responsible When Hiking

Be a more responsible hiker

Hiking itself is fun outdoor activity that is beneficial for your overall health. It is such a good workout you can do regularly. You can do it one a week or month, or whenever you have the time to do it. Also, there are many hiking destinations to explore. You don’t be running out of ideas of where to hike next. However, it is essential to stay responsible when hiking. And here are several tips on how you can do it:

Always follow the rules

Being responsible means you always follow the rules. To ensure you understand everything, read the handed information by the staffs before you explore the national parks or protected areas. If the staffs require you to watch informative video about the park, then do as asked. There are also many warnings the staffs put throughout hiking trails such as ‘do not litter’ or ‘do not feed the wildlife’. always follow the rules and guidelines not only to protect the place but also to keep yourself safe. 

Leave no trace

It is a must to clean after yourself when hiking. You can bring foods and drinks to make sure you are energized and hydrated. However, make sure to not litter around the areas. If there are any designated place to thrown your trash, keep it with you until you find one. Even if you think your trash is harmless, you should not leave them on the hiking trails. Keep the place clean and if you find trash, pick it up and dispose it properly. 

Stick to the marked hiking trails

There are so many hikers who feel entitled to be as free as they want to be so they decide to use hiking trails not recommended by the staffs. Instead, they choose other trails that have been warned to be dangerous. This kind of irresponsible can be dangerous for you as hiker. You might get lost somewhere or meet dangerous animals. Not only that, you might also damage the environment by straying off the path because you step on and trample over protected areas.

Observe but do not make a contact

Always keep a safe distance when you meet wildlife when hiking. You can observe them from afar but do not approach or worse, touch them. Even if you come across animals such as squirrels or rabbits, avoid touching them. Irresponsible behaviors can be harmful both to yourself and the animals. Also, avoid plucking plants or flowers you see while hiking. Remember to not leave and take anything.