One travel content creator recently came across something in a national park that made their blood boil.
Filming a historic log cabin in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TikToker Alex Blodgett (@alexblodgett1) noted that "almost every single inch of it" had been marred by tourists writing and carving their names on the wood.
@alexblodgett1 What not to do if you're visiting a National Park 🥲 so sad to see a historic home vandalized - please always remember to leave no trace when visiting Parks, so they can be enjoyed by others for years to come. #nationalparks #outdoors #nature ♬ original sound - Alex Blodgett
"Don't do that!" they simply advised their 176,000 followers.
They elaborated in the caption, writing, "So sad to see a historic home vandalized — please always remember to leave no trace when visiting parks, so they can be enjoyed by others for years to come."
"Leave No Trace" are words to live by when visiting national parks or anywhere in nature. Enjoying nature begins with respecting it and seeking to have as little impact on it as possible. Any interaction with the great outdoors should start and end with the desire to protect, not abuse, wildlife, habitats, and local ecology — especially as so much nature around the world is under threat from pollution, development, and other human activities.
While the cabin in this video is technically man-made, it is both historic and located in a national park, which means you really shouldn't write on it or carve into it with a knife, as so many tourists already have.
The "Leave No Trace" maxim has actually been expanded into Seven Principles by the National Parks Service to help outdoors enthusiasts understand how to behave in nature. The principles are: Plan Ahead and Prepare, Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces, Dispose of Waste Properly, Leave What You Find, Minimize Campfire Impacts, Respect Wildlife, and Be Considerate of Other Visitors.
While "Don't Write Your Name on Landmarks With a Sharpie" did not make the list, it probably does fall under the umbrella of the last principle.
Alex's TikTok followers were similarly outraged.
"Love that house in the [Great Smoky Mountains] but it makes me so sad seeing that," wrote one commenter.
"I hated seeing that when we visited!" wrote another.
"This drives me crazy," a third chimed in.
Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
