Leave No Trace isn't a slogan -- it's the set of practices that determines whether Ontario's backcountry is still worth visiting in 20 years. Algonquin Park sees over 200,000 backcountry visitor-nights per year. Killarney and Georgian Bay face increasing pressure as backcountry recreation grows in popularity. When that many people pass through the same campsites, portage trails, and lake systems, even small careless actions accumulate into visible damage. A fire ring full of foil and bottle caps, a portage trail widened by people cutting shortcuts, a campsite surrounded by toilet paper flags -- these are failures of practice, not intention. Most people want to do the right thing; they just don't know exactly what that means in specific Ontario backcountry situations.
The Seven Principles in Ontario Context
1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
The most effective LNT practice happens before you leave home. Knowing your route, the regulations for your specific park or Crown land area, and the conditions you'll face prevents the improvised decisions that cause impact. Pack food out of cans and glass bottles before entering Algonquin or Killarney (where they're banned). Bring a stove so you're not dependent on fire. Carry proper food storage so you're not creating campsite bears. See our trip planning guide.
2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
In provincial parks, camp only on designated campsites. This isn't just a regulation -- it's ecologically important. Designated sites concentrate impact on already-disturbed ground rather than spreading it to new areas. On the portage trail, stay on the main trail even when it's muddy. Walking around a mud hole widens the trail and damages vegetation on both sides. Accept wet boots.
On Crown land, choose campsites on durable surfaces: rock, established clearings, or sandy beaches. Avoid camping on moss, lichen, or thin soil areas where your tent and foot traffic will leave visible damage that takes years to recover.
3. Dispose of Waste Properly
Pack it in, pack it out. Everything you bring into the backcountry leaves with you. This includes: food packaging, food scraps (no, orange peels don't decompose quickly in Ontario's boreal soil), used dishwater food particles, fishing line, and yes, toilet paper.
Human waste: Use the box privy (outhouse) at designated provincial park campsites. On Crown land or when a privy isn't available, dig a cat hole: 15-20 cm deep, at least 30 metres from water, trails, and campsites. Deposit solid waste, cover it, and pack out toilet paper in a sealed bag. Some paddlers carry a WAG bag system for situations where digging isn't possible (Shield rock with no soil cover).
Grey water: After washing dishes, strain the dishwater through a bandana to catch food particles (pack these out with your garbage). Scatter the strained water widely, at least 30 metres from any water source. Use biodegradable soap sparingly -- "biodegradable" means it breaks down eventually, not that it's harmless to aquatic life when dumped directly in a lake.
Bathing: Don't use soap (even biodegradable) directly in lakes or rivers. Carry water at least 30 metres from shore to wash. A swim handles most cleaning needs. On a multi-day trip, a bandana bath with heated water works well.
4. Leave What You Find
It's illegal to remove natural objects from Ontario provincial parks -- this includes shed antlers, interesting rocks, driftwood, and wildflowers. On Crown land, the ethics are the same even if the regulations are less specific. The person after you deserves to see the same landscape you saw.
Don't build structures: furniture, rock cairns, lean-tos, or impromptu improvements to campsites. These accumulate over time and change the character of the site. If someone before you built a "shelf" out of stacked rocks on the campsite, leave it -- but don't add to it.
5. Minimize Campfire Impact
Use existing fire rings at designated campsites. Don't build new fire rings, even on Crown land where it's legal -- look for existing fire scars instead. Keep fires small. Burn all wood completely to ash. Don't burn garbage -- plastic, foil, and food packaging don't burn completely and leave toxic residue in the fire ring.
Collect only dead and downed wood, and only what you'll actually burn. Don't stockpile firewood or strip a campsite's deadfall supply. Consider whether a fire is necessary at all -- a campfire is pleasant but a stove is more efficient for cooking and has zero impact. See our fire building guide for responsible fire practices.
6. Respect Wildlife
Watch wildlife from a distance. Don't approach moose, bears, loons, or other animals for photos. Moose can be aggressive during calving season (May-June) and rutting season (September-October). Loons are sensitive to disturbance near their nests -- keep canoes at least 30 metres from nesting sites. See our wildlife awareness guide for species-specific guidance and our bear awareness guide for food storage and encounter protocols.
7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors
On busy routes, your behaviour affects other people's wilderness experience. Keep noise down, especially in the evening and early morning. Don't play music from speakers -- bring earbuds if you need tunes. On portage trails, yield to parties going uphill. On the water, give fishing canoes a wide berth. At campsites, maintain the quiet that people came to the backcountry to find.
The Campsite You Leave Behind
Before you paddle away from a campsite, do a final sweep. Check the fire ring for garbage -- not just yours, but the previous visitor's foil, bottle caps, and partially burned food. Pick up any microtrash (twist ties, bread tags, fishing line) on the ground around the site. The standard isn't "leave it as you found it" -- it's "leave it cleaner than you found it." On popular routes, this makes a visible difference.
If everyone who used a campsite left it slightly better than they found it, the cumulative effect would be dramatic. Right now, the opposite is often true. Be the exception.