Recreational Courses

Workshops

Each year, in-person and online Leave No Trace Workshops reach tens of thousands of people with minimum impact skills and ethics. These introductory workshops are typically one to three hours long, but can be up to a full day in length. They can be tailored to educators, youth, college students, outdoor professionals or anyone with an interest in learning more about Leave No Trace practices. A workshop may also be tailored in its content— Leave No Trace for a specific environment, a specific recreation activity or maybe just an overview of the 7 Principles.

Skills Course

Participants taking the two-day Leave No Trace Skills Course learn Leave No Trace skills, ethics, and have several opportunities to practice these low-impact techniques during the course. Skills Courses typically occur over two consecutive days and involve spending more than half of the course outdoors. Leave No Trace Skills Course graduates are prepared to discuss the Leave No Trace principles with others and to practice low-impact skills and techniques on future endeavors.

“Leave No Trace offers a way for the general public to become the conscientious public and in doing so influences the character of both the land and people.”

Recreational Training Resources

Want to learn more about the Leave No Trace training structure and requirements? Here are some resources to help guide you through it.

Looking to Teach Others?​

Individuals who want to educate others about Leave No Trace should read about Instructor Courses. These courses center on being an effective educator and utilizing experiential education to instill an outdoor ethic on participants. 

Frequently Asked Questions

The Leave No Trace training structure, and some guidelines, are changing in

order to meet organizational strategic goals. These changes work to make training more appealing and accessible to a wider range of audiences.

No additional training is required to be moved from the Trainer to Level 1 Instructor or Master Educator to Level 2 Instructor fields.

Yes, Level 1 and Level 2 Instructors (formerly Trainers and Master Educators) are now certified in the new training structure.

Recertification is required to maintain your certification status as a Level 1 or Level 2 Instructor.

On July 18, 2023, all Trainers and Master Educators will be moved into the new Level 1 or Level 2 certification fields. On July 18, 2025, an online recertification course will be available to all instructors to recertify.

Yes, a $50 administrative fee will be charged upon completing the online course to complete your recertification.

Both Level 1 and Level 2 Instructors can teach a Leave No Trace Skills Course.

No additional training is required to run a Leave No Trace Skills Course. The training received during a Leave No Trace Level 1 or Level 2 course will prepare instructors to teach this course. Note: Instructors must be current in their certification and membership with the organization to provide participants with a Certificate of Completion.

Yes, formal training is not required to teach a Leave No Trace Workshop. Note: Only certified Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 Instructors can provide a Certificate of Completion to workshop participants.

Level 1 or Level 2 Instructors cannot provide Certificates of Completion or Certifications to participants if their organizational membership has expired.

No, Leave No Trace Skills Courses and Workshops are not certification courses. However, participants receive a Certificate of Completion once completing a course.