I'm seeing way more litter on trails this season

I've been hitting the trails a lot and keep finding plastic bottles and snack wrappers everywhere. I think it's because hiking has become more popular, and not everyone knows the leave no trace rules. What's the best way to remind folks to clean up after themselves without being rude?

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3 Comments

andreww896mo ago

But what if all that trash is just a sign that more folks are getting outside? Maybe we should be happy about the popularity and not sweat the small stuff. Not everyone can be perfect about cleanup.

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the_david6mo ago

A ranger at Yosemite said last summer that trash problems are getting worse. He mentioned how food wrappers and bottles are attracting bears to trails. So if we don't clean up, it's not just messy, it's dangerous for everyone.

4

betty_shah6mo ago

Yeah I actually used to think like that too, until I saw the same trail get worse every single month. It's not just a few wrappers, it's full bags of dog poop left right next to the can and plastic bottles in the creek. The popularity is great, but it kinda loses its charm when you're just walking past trash the whole time.

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