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02 Plan and ride right

Tread Lightly and Leave No Trace

Trail access depends on riders not wrecking the place. Two programs set out the basics, and Ozark land managers enforce many of them as rules.

The Buffalo National River below green bluffs at Carver Landing, Arkansas
Clear Ozark rivers are part of what is at stake. Photo: Brandonrush, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Tread Lightly: T.R.E.A.D.

  • Travel responsibly, on designated routes.
  • Respect the rights of others.
  • Educate yourself: plan, know the rules, carry the right gear.
  • Avoid sensitive areas such as streams, meadows and wildlife habitat.
  • Do your part: leave it better than you found it.

Leave No Trace: 7 principles

  1. Plan ahead and prepare.
  2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces.
  3. Dispose of waste properly.
  4. Leave what you find.
  5. Minimize campfire impacts.
  6. Respect wildlife.
  7. Be considerate of others.

How it shows up as Ozark rules

  • Brock Creek: no trash service, pack it in, pack it out.
  • St. Joe: stay out of marked revegetation areas.
  • Private parks: tree saver straps, no new trails, no cutting trees.
  • Ouachita NF: leave gates as you found them.

Where this comes from

Last reviewed 2026-10-19. General information only: the official site and posted rules always come first.