As a responsible nature lover, you’re probably already practicing many of the 7 Principles of Leave No Trace without even knowing it. Feed wildlife? Never. Create a rock cairn for an Instagram shot? Nope. And you even pick up other people’s litter as you pack yours out. We LOVE to see it!

We also love that Leave No Trace is offering a free 45-minute course, so more of us can be heroes on our next hike or camping trip. Because when one person is trained in Leave No Trace, they go on to educate 256 additional people. That’s 5.2 million people this year alone. (Our new collab hiking boot with Leave No Trace is helping fund this effort.)

Ready to take the first step and test your Leave No Trace know-how? Let’s see if you can ace this 3-minute quiz.

1. What is the 1st Principle of Leave No Trace?

a. Have a Good Time
b. Shred Gnar
c. Pack Out Your Trash
d. Plan Ahead and Prepare

2. True or False: It is okay to leave my dog’s poop in the woods, as long as it’s not on the trail.

a. True
b. False

3. How far away from water sources is it okay to camp?

a. 25 ft
b. 100 ft
c. 200 ft
d. 400 ft

4. Can you guess the average length of time that it takes for banana or orange peels to naturally decompose?

a. Up to 2 months
b. Up to 6 months
c. Up to 2 years
d. Up to 10 years

5. How deep should you dig a “cathole” to properly dispose of human waste?

a. As long as it’s covered, it’s good
b. 1-2 inches
c. 4 inches
d. 6-8 inches

6. True or False: It’s okay to wash your dishes in the river if you use biodegradable soap

a. True
b. False

7. Which of the following is NOT a durable surface to hike on?

a. Moss
b. Snow
c. Sand
d. Dry grass

8. True or False: You should walk around a mud puddle to avoid damaging the trail

a. True
b. False

And Now the Answers…

1. What is the 1st Principle of Leave No Trace?
d. Plan Ahead and Prepare - it’s the most important principle.

2. True or False: It is okay to leave my dog’s poop in the woods, as long as it’s not on the trail.
b. False - Unlike a bear or other animal’s diet that consists mainly of natural plants and berries, our dog's diet is often made of non-natural processed ingredients. Additionally, pet waste contains bacteria that can be harmful to other animals, wildlife, and even humans! Instead, bag dog poop and throw it away in the nearest trash can.

3. How far away from water sources is it okay to camp?
c. 200 ft

4. Can you guess the average length of time that it takes for banana or orange peels to naturally decompose?
c. Up to 2 years (!!!)

5. How deep should you dig a “cathole” to properly dispose of human waste?
d. 6-8 inches

6. True or False: It’s okay to wash your dishes in the river if you use biodegradable soap
b. False - Carry some water from the river 200ft away from the water source and use a tiny bit of biodegradable soap to wash dishes.

7. Which of the following is NOT a durable surface to hike on?
a. Moss - To minimize your impact on nature, be sure to hike on durable surfaces like dry grass, sand, mud, dirt, snow, gravel, established trail, rock, etc. Nondurable surfaces include vegetation, wildflowers, poison ivy, moss, steep slopes prone to slides, riparian areas, etc.

8. True or False: You should walk around a mud puddle to avoid damaging the trail
b. False - Walking around a mud puddle can lead to trail widening by damaging the vegetation. It is best to walk single file through the mud puddle to protect the integrity of the trails and plant life.

Too easy? There’s more where this came from … in the free Leave No Trace 101 course. We guarantee you’ll learn something you didn’t know (we did!).