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British Columbia Heritage
Rivers System
Responsible Recreation
British Columbia is beautiful, and we think that outdoor exploration is a great thing. In fact, we encourage it. To help everyone on their way to having a safe, responsible and respectful adventure in a BC Park we’ve come up with a few guidelines. We hope these messages can inspire respectful behaviour so that we can all enjoy our parks for a long time to come.

Parks are not self-cleaning
- Trash ruins the park for everyone. Remember to pack out your garbage.
- Litter attracts wildlife and increases wildlife-human conflict.
- Leaving trash in bear caches and bear hangs can damage these facilities and prevent others from using them.

Messy campsites cause mayhem
- Treat your campsite like your home. If you aren’t around, your food shouldn’t be either.
- Store all wildlife attractants like food and smelly items, including things like deodorant and toothpaste, in a hard-sided vehicle, trailer, bear cache or bear hang.
- The firepit is not a garbage can.
- Pack out all garbage, recyclables, and organics. Organic matter can attract wildlife.
- Learn more in our Frontcountry Visitor Guide
- Learn more in our Backcountry Visitor Guide

Wildlife is meant to be wild
- Travel in numbers and make some noise – startling large animals may not end well so make your presence known.
- Help keep wildlife wild – when you see animals, do not approach or tant them; give them space to simply be.
- Know how to look for signs of recent animal activity, folllow posted wildlife cosures, and know what to do in case of an encounter.
- Learn more about Wildlife Safety

Wild animals are supposed to eat wild things
- Fed animals lose their natural fear of humans and can become aggressive.
- Wildlife have access to a whole forest full of food; they’re not hungry.
- Animals change their patterns to accommodate food sources like garbage; don’t mess with nature.
- Learn more about Wildlife Safety

Nice people make nature nicer
- Acknowledge others on the trail; this is a shared space so remember to be kind and considerate so everyone can have a good time.
- Stay on the trail; shortcutting and trampling cause erosion and impacts plant and animal habitat.
- Give animals space; it’s their home first.
- Don’t blast music; not everyone came to the park to listen to your music.
- Learn more in our Frontcountry Visitor Guide

Keep nature serene
- Let the sound of nature prevail.
- Parks are for everyone and not everyone enjoys it with a bass line.
- Keeping your neighbours up at night isn’t cool; adhere to posted quiet hours and noise rules.
- Learn more in our Frontcountry Visitor Guide

The best thing to inhale is fresh air
- Smoking tobacco and cannabis, using e-cigarettes, and vaping are not permitted in any BC Park, except in frontcountry campsites.
- We recommend you just get high on life.
- Learn more in our Frontcountry Visitor Guide

Outhouses are toilets not garbage cans
- If you wouldn’t put it in your toilet at home don’t put it in the outhouse.
- Garbage backs up the outhouse, renders it unusable and can attract wildlife.
- Outhouses can be some of the best views on the trail. Help keep them clean and enjoyable for everyone.
- Learn more about outhouses – understanding a bit about how your business becomes our business ensures that these toilets remain functional for all users.

Poop considerately in the wild
- Pooping in the backcountry can have detrimental effects on the environment, water quality, and landscape. Try to hold it until you can find an outhouse.
- If you have to go, dig a hole 100m away from camps, water sources and trails and bury your waste, or pack your poop out.
- No one wants to see human waste and toilet paper while hiking.
- Learn more in our Backcountry Visitor Guide

If everyone took something there would be nothing left
- Items like flowers, mushrooms and dead wood all play a role in our parks, so please let them do their thing.
- Learn more about Regulations in BC Parks

Forests are not firewood
- Use supplied firewood and burn it only in designated areas.
- Before you plan on having a campfire, check to see if a campfire ban is in effect.
- Campfires are illegal in many backcountry and alpine locations.
- Buy it where you burn it. Moving firewood can spread invasive species and diseases.
- Learn more about Campfire Bans and Safety

Fido can’t always be free - for good reason
- Leashing your dog keeps you, them, and other wildlife safe. Triple win.
- An unleashed dog can cause negative impacts to the trail, park visitors, natural resources, and sensitive wildlife that call the park home.
- Adhere to posted signs regarding on- and off-leash areas.
- Not everyone is a dog-lover, yet everyone has a right to enjoy the trail.
- Find a dog-friendly BC Park near you

Plan ahead and prepare
- Prepared people get lost less and stay alive more. Do your research and pack your essentials.
- Nature is unpredictable, so it’s good to be prepared for anything.
- Make a trip plan and tell someone responsible where you are going and when you expect to be back.
- Learn more about trip-planning with Adventure Smart
- Learn more about Visitor Health and Safety

Drones should be kept at home
- It’s illegal to operate drones in the park without permission
- If you get permission, keep drones away from people and wildlife
- Learn more about Drones in BC Parks

It’s important to camp safe not sorry
- If you want to sleep in the wild, do so in designated areas only.
- If a permit is required, get one.
- Learn more about Making a Reservation in a BC Park
Responsible Recreation Ambassadors
Like these messages and want to help us spread the word?
We love BC Parks and we hope you do too! Show your love by recreating responsibly and share your photos with us @yourbcparks on Instagram and Facebook using #ilovebcparks