Many of the wonderful outdoor areas you'll be exploring in Rocky Mountain National Park are quite isolated. Although you're certainly not the first human being to set foot there, you may feel as though you are. Not too long ago, the rule of thumb was "leave only footprints"; these days, we're trying to do better and not leave even footprints. It's relatively easy to be a good outdoor citizen -- mostly common sense is needed. Pack all trash, stay on established trails, be especially careful not to pollute water, and, in general, do your best to have as little impact on the environment as possible. Some hikers go further, carrying a small trash bag to pick up what others may have left behind.
Because of the vast quantity of wildlife in the park, human visitors need to be especially careful to protect these park residents. Do not feed any animals -- even those cute little chipmunks and ground squirrels that have become so skilled at begging. At the very least it robs them of their own survival skills; at worst, it may seriously harm them or lead to human injuries or disease. View and photograph animals from roadways, and never approach them; and do not shine automobile headlights or portable spotlights on wildlife. In short, as visitors -- actually intruders -- into these animals' home, make every effort to disturb them as little as possible, and let wild things remain truly wild.
