Most environmental damage on overnight hikes does not happen while walking. It happens at camp. Repeated use of poor campsites, small acts of site modification, and careless waste practices gradually turn wild places into degraded ones. In Australia, where many ecosystems recover slowly, the impact of a single night can persist for years.
This guide explains how to apply Leave No Trace principles when camping on overnight hikes in the Australian bush, with a focus on campsite choice, behaviour at camp, and leaving no evidence that you were ever there.
Start with existing campsites wherever they are provided
Using established campsites or tent platforms is one of the most effective Leave No Trace actions you can take. Designated sites concentrate impact in areas that have already been assessed for drainage, exposure, vegetation protection, and long-term sustainability. They reduce the spread of informal pads, protect fragile groundcover, and help land managers limit damage across the wider landscape.
Choosing to camp elsewhere should be a deliberate decision based on necessity, not preference.
Camp on durable surfaces, not fragile environments
When established sites are unavailable, the goal is to camp on surfaces that can tolerate use without long-term damage. Durable surfaces include existing hardened pads, compacted soil, gravel, sand, or stable leaf litter where permitted. Fragile surfaces include moss, alpine plants, heathland, wetlands, and cryptogamic soils.
Never clear vegetation, break branches, remove plants, or rearrange rocks to create a campsite. Do not dig trenches around tents. Modern tent floors and site selection make trenching unnecessary, and it causes long-term soil damage and erosion. If a spot does not naturally fit your shelter, it is not a suitable campsite.
Modifying the environment to suit your gear creates permanent damage and encourages repeated use by others.
Avoid creating new informal campsites
One of the most common Leave No Trace failures on overnight hikes is the creation of new campsites near popular routes. A single night on undisturbed ground may appear harmless, but repeated use quickly strips vegetation, compacts soil, and creates visible scars. These sites then attract future campers, accelerating damage.
Social media has amplified this problem. Geotagging or publicly sharing the location of pristine or “secret” campsites can lead to rapid and irreversible degradation. Avoid tagging specific campsite locations, especially those that are undeveloped or fragile. If a location shows no signs of previous use, it is usually better to keep moving or adjust your plan than to establish a new site.
Keep well clear of waterways and protect water quality
Australian waterways are often small, shallow, and ecologically fragile. Always camp at least 60 to 100 metres, roughly 100 adult paces, away from lakes, rivers, creeks, and tarns. This protects riparian vegetation, prevents erosion and siltation, and allows wildlife to access water without disturbance.
Never wash yourself, your dishes, or clothing directly in a water source. Even “biodegradable” soaps are pollutants in alpine, cold, or stagnant water systems. These products require soil bacteria to break down and should never enter waterways. Carry water well away from the bank and dispose of wastewater across soil where it can filter naturally.
Manage food and rubbish at camp
Food scraps and rubbish are a major source of long-term campsite damage. Even small crumbs, packaging fragments, or spilled food attract wildlife and condition animals to human presence. Over time, this leads to problem behaviour, damaged campsites, and in some areas, the removal or destruction of animals that have become dependent on human food.
At camp, keep food handling contained, collect all scraps while cooking and eating, and pack out everything you bring in. This includes organic waste such as food peelings and leftovers, which do not break down quickly in many Australian environments. Secure rubbish overnight so it cannot be accessed by animals, and check the area carefully before leaving for micro-trash such as torn packaging or foil.
A campsite should never smell like food once you move on.
Manage human waste properly
Poor toileting practices are one of the most visible and damaging campsite impacts. Where no toilets are provided, carry a trowel and dig cat holes in topsoil at least 10 to 15 centimetres deep and at least 100 metres from water, campsites, and tracks. Cover and disguise the hole when finished.
Pack out all toilet paper where required, along with wet wipes and feminine hygiene products, which do not break down in Australian environments. Never bury rubbish. In some parks and alpine areas, packing out all waste is mandatory. Always check local regulations before your trip.
Minimise campfire impacts
Many Australian landscapes are poorly suited to campfires, and fire scars can persist for decades. Where fires are prohibited, do not have one. Where they are permitted, use existing fire rings only, keep fires small, and burn only dead wood that can be broken by hand. Never cut live vegetation or strip branches from trees.
Ensure fires are fully extinguished and cold before leaving. In dry or windy conditions, a stove is often the lower-impact and safer option.
Avoid “gardening” your campsite
A common but damaging behaviour is adjusting the campsite to improve comfort. Do not rake leaf litter, build wind walls, dig channels, or clear sticks and branches. These actions alter drainage, expose soil, and leave visible signs of use long after you leave. Accept that wilderness campsites are rarely perfect. Comfort should never come at the expense of permanent environmental damage.
Keep camp layout compact and contained
At camp, avoid spreading out unnecessarily.
Keep tents, cooking areas, and foot traffic within a small, defined space to limit trampling. Avoid pacing, repeated wandering, or creating multiple pads. For groups, this is especially important. Concentrating impact in one area causes far less damage than spreading it across a wider footprint.
Leave the site looking unused
Before leaving, take time to restore the campsite visually. Remove all rubbish, check for micro-trash, brush out footprints where appropriate, and ensure no equipment or debris remains. If someone passing through can tell you camped there, something has been left behind.
The bottom line
Leave No Trace when camping is about restraint, not perfection. In Australia’s fragile bush environments, small decisions at camp have long-lasting consequences. Using existing sites, avoiding environmental modification, protecting waterways, and managing waste properly all reduce cumulative damage and help preserve the places we walk through.
Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprints, keep nothing but memories, and leave the bush as if you were never a part of the landscape.
