The outdoors belongs to everyone, and protecting it is a shared responsibility. Whether you’re exploring a local park, venturing into the backcountry, or camping for the weekend, Leave No Trace offers practical ways to reduce your impact and care for the places you visit. At ADK, we believe every outdoor experience is an opportunity to practice responsible recreation and inspire others to do the same.
For more than a century, ADK has been helping people explore New York’s wild places responsibly. As a recognized Leave No Trace Training Provider since 2009, we’ve trained thousands of outdoor enthusiasts, volunteers, educators, and professionals to minimize their impact and protect the places we all love.
Today, Leave No Trace is woven into everything we do—from guided hikes and paddles to school programs, volunteer stewardship, and backcountry education. Every year, ADK helps thousands of people learn the skills they need to enjoy the outdoors safely while preserving the Adirondacks for future generations.
What is Leave No Trace?
Leave No Trace is a set of seven simple principles that help people reduce their impact while enjoying the outdoors. Rather than a list of rules, the principles provide practical guidance for making good decisions wherever you recreate, from local parks to the High Peaks Wilderness.
The seven Leave No Trace Principles are:
- Plan Ahead and Prepare
- Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
- Dispose of Waste Properly
- Leave What You Find
- Minimize Campfire Impacts
- Respect Wildlife
- Be Considerate of Other Visitors
Together, these principles help protect trails, forests, lakes, wildlife, and the outdoor experiences that make the Adirondacks so special.
ADK’s Commitment to Leave No Trace
Education has always been at the heart of ADK’s mission. Since becoming a Leave No Trace Training Provider, ADK has:
- Trained more than 140 Leave No Trace Master Educators
- Certified more than 300 Leave No Trace Trainers
- Educated thousands of participants through awareness workshops, guided programs, and outdoor education
- Integrated Leave No Trace into youth education, including Three Seasons at Heart Lake, our accredited Leave No Trace youth program
- Partnered with organizations across New York to expand stewardship and outdoor ethics education
ADK has also worked alongside Leave No Trace during stewardship initiatives, including Hot Spot programs in both the Catskills and Adirondacks, helping address the impacts of increasing outdoor recreation through education and community engagement.
Why It Matters
The Adirondack Park is one of the largest protected landscapes in the United States, encompassing both public Forest Preserve and private lands. As visitation continues to grow, responsible recreation has never been more important.
Practicing Leave No Trace helps:
- Protect fragile ecosystems and wildlife habitat
- Reduce trail erosion and campsite impacts
- Keep waterways clean
- Preserve the wilderness experience for everyone
- Ensure future generations can enjoy the Adirondacks just as we do today
Every visitor has a role to play in caring for these extraordinary places.
Learn Leave No Trace with ADK
Whether you’re new to hiking, leading outdoor trips, or looking to deepen your outdoor skills, ADK offers Leave No Trace education throughout the year. From introductory workshops to professional-level training, our programs provide practical skills you can use on every adventure.
When we all do our part, the Adirondacks remain wild, healthy, and welcoming for generations to come.
