With more people spending time outdoors, many parks, rivers and wilderness areas are being burdened with an increase in litter and trash.

Tennessee State Park reported this summer that people have been parking in undesignated areas, as well as going off trail and injuring themselves. State Parks has also shared photos of trash littering the ground in favorite spots within our beloved South Cumberland State Park, including Greeter Falls, Foster Falls and Grundy Forest.

The Seven Principles of Leave No Trace provide an easy framework for decreasing human impact while enjoying the outdoors. Please share these principals with your family and others to help us decrease our human impact on the natural landscape.

The Southeast Tennessee Tourism Association aims to equip our visitors with the knowledge and skills to help protect our natural landscape for many years to come.

Visitors are asked to please leave no trace of their visit, stay on designated trails, park in designated parking areas, and carry out garbage when they leave.

For more information, visit the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics website.