Leave No Trace at Scotts Bluff

Leave No Trace is a national program which promotes the protection of our nation's parks and wildlands through education, research, and partnerships. Leave No Trace builds awareness, appreciation, and respect for America's public lands by teaching minimum impact skills and wildland ethics.

The Seven Principles of Leave No Trace provide an easily understood framework of minimum impact practices for anyone visiting the outdoors. Although Leave No Trace has its roots in backcountry settings, the Principles have been adapted so that they can be applied anywhere — from remote wilderness areas to smaller frontcountry parks like Scotts Bluff National Monument.

 

Staying on paved trails, like the Saddle Rock Trail seen in this photo, reduces impacts to the monument's ecosystem.

NPS/Eric Grunwald

Here are some ways you can use the Seven Principles of Leave No Trace to minimize the impact of your visit to Scotts Bluff:

Plan Ahead and Prepare

Prepare for the weather, hazards and emergencies. Remember, weather on the Great Plains is quite variable with high temperatures in the summer, and extreme cold in the winter.

• In the summer, schedule your hikes for cooler times of the day (morning and early evening) and bring plenty of drinking water.
• In the winter dress in layers and be prepared for slippery ice or snow covered trails. Over the shoe traction devices and trekking poles are a good option.

Travel on Durable Surfaces

When hiking on Scotts Bluff, it is important to stay on the paved trails. Rocks in the area are soft and crumbly and traveling off trail can result in erosion or dangerous rockfalls. Off trail travel can also trample delicate prairie plants. If traveling off trail with a group in the South Bluff area, spread out to avoid creating paths that encourage others to follow. Remember, overnight camping is not permitted anywhere within Scotts Bluff National Monument.

 

Carving into the soft sandstone of Scotts Bluff is not only unsightly, it hastens the erosion of this historic resource.

NPS/Eric Grunwald

Dispose of Waste Properly

Pet waste, human waste & garbage can be harmful to plants and animals, visitors, and the prairie ecosystem. To protect wildlife, human health and keep waterways clean:

• Use the restroom before hitting the trails.
• Pack it in, Pack it out. Put litter—even crumbs, peels and cores—in bags and dispose of in garbage cans. In arid climates like the Great Plains, organic litter like orange peels or nut shells does not decompose quickly.
• Use one of the provided pet waste bags to pack out your pet’s poop to a garbage can.

Leave What You Find

• The rock that makes up Scotts Bluff is extrenely soft. Chalking, carving, scratching, or painting on the rocks is considered graffiti and is illegal. It degrades the environment and the experience for all.
• Paleontological resources (fossils) are found in the monument. If you discover fossils leave them in place, make note of the location, and let a park ranger know about it.
• Natural objects like antlers, feathers, rocks, sticks, and leaves add to the mood of the monument and should be left so others can experience a sense of discovery.
• Do not disturb or remove any archaelogical and/or historical sites and artifacts.

 

Coyotes and other wildlife can sometimes be seen in the monument. Always observe wildlife from a distance.

NPS/Eric Grunwald

Minimize Campfire Impacts

Fires are not permitted anywhere in the monument. The high winds and dry conditions in every season of the year make prairie fires a constant concern. There are no fire pits or grates at the monument due to the possibility of wildfire.

Respect Wildlife

• Do not feed wild animals. Secure your food and trash so animals can’t get into them.
• Keep pets under control and on a leash so they don’t harm or stress wildlife. Clean up pet waste, as it can carry diseases such as parvovirus, giardia and roundworms into the monument's wildlife populations.
• Observe wildlife quietly from a safe distance so as to not disturb them.
• Be aware of animals crossing the road.
• Do not harass or injure any wildlife in the monument. Even rattlesnakes play an important role in the ecosystem here.

Be Considerate of Other Visitors

• Avoid disrupting natural quiet with loud music or shouting. Remember, you share this monument with other visitors. Respect and protect the quality of everyone’s outdoor experience.
• Drones are not allowed in the monument. They can negatively impact animals and the experience for other people.
• Share the trail by walking single file and allow others to pass by stepping to the side of the trail on durable surfaces.