Hiking is one of the best ways to experience all the great outdoors has to offer. There are few things better than spending a day somewhere in the wilderness, soaking up the clean air and uncrowded spaces. However, there’s no doubt that visitors to National Parks and other areas of outstanding natural beauty create environmental costs. If you’re the type of person who enjoys getting out into the wilder parts of our landscape, this is probably something that matters to you. Here are a few simple ways to reduce your environmental footprint in the wilderness:

• Stick to the paths. No matter how tempting it might be to stray a little or take a shortcut, staying on waymarked trails reduces erosion and makes sure that shyer animals aren’t disturbed. It also guarantees you won’t accidentally stomp on any delicate plants and it’s a lot safer too. If you find the trails near you are crowded, get hold of a good map. There are almost certainly less crowded tracks and trails not far away.

• Check your socks! What? OK, I know socks aren’t high on the list of environmental menaces. The problem is that woolly hiking socks tend to pick up burrs and seeds from the plants we pass. If you’ve been somewhere with a weed problem, check that no nasties are hitching a ride stuck to your socks or on the soles or laces of your boots. Hikers are sometimes unwittingly responsible for seeding exotic plant pests deep inside pristine wilderness areas and it’s often socks that are to blame.

• Take a friend. There are two reasons to bring a friend or family member along when you go hiking- three if you count a little added safety. The first is about transport. Most people drive to the start of their walk, and the more people in the car the more bang you’re getting for your carbon buck. The second is pure evangelism. The more people who hike and enjoy the outdoors, the more people will value our wild spaces.

• Bring litter home. This one is a no-brainer. Reuse an old plastic shopping bag to keep all your litter tidy and hey, just because a piece of garbage isn’t yours doesn’t mean you can’t pick it up. Collecting a couple of pieces of plastic you see by the path is one way to tip your environmental impact towards the positive side.

• Get involved and volunteer. Most hikers (including me) believe that trails and National Park facilities should be fully funded by the government but the fact is that they aren’t. Every year huge lengths of trail are maintained by volunteers and some groups put in a massive conservation effort too.

Hiking doesn’t have to be a burden on the environment. In a lot of ways, it’s hikers and hiking that are responsible for the continued protection of our wild spaces. If you like to get up into the woods or enjoy the mountains, lakes, and deserts, make sure your contribution is a positive one!

Image credit: besighyawn at Flickr under a Creative Commons license

Jess Spate is a keen rock climber and hiker. These days she splits her time between Outdoor Equipment Online, a British price comparison site for outdoor gear, sustainablog, a US eco friendly product and information resource, and the cliffs and mountains of England and Wales

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