What is low impact camping and the back country camp? Why do we need to do it?
Please click on this link to view a video of the Back Country Camp
Back-country areas are places to seek solitude and a “wilderness experience” away from crowds, noise, and daily pressures of life. By using low impact camping skills, trail users can reduce their impact on the diverse, fragile, and spectacular areas in our country. The following are guidelines that will assist trail users in successfully enjoying the wilderness.
- Staying on established campsites, trails, or areas with rock and gravel helps minimize impact on the area.
- Try to keep your campsite small and concentrated.
- Avoid camping and walking on vegetation.
- If the area is unfrequented or pristine, spread out your camp and try to avoid creating trails.
Any wilderness is an extremely delicate ecosystem. And, unless all users learn to “walk lightly on the earth,” it will probably become necessary to regiment and/or deny the use of such areas. Therefore, to protect our freedom to enjoy nature at its best, we’d like to show you the right way to conduct some of the camping activities we most often see done wrong.
A back country camp will be displayed with tents and camping methods for all users, including a demonstration of hanging your food from bears and discussions of where and how to select a campsite. Horse camping will be featured as well as backpacking and biking methods.
Station information contributed by Back Country Horsemen of the Flathead and U. S Forest Service.
