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Conservation & Leave No Trace
Hawaiʻi’s volcanic landscapes may look rugged, but native forests, wildlife habitats, lava formations and cultural places can all be affected by repeated human activity.
Respect for the land begins before we step onto the trail. Every Volcanoes Hiking Guides experience includes practical guidance on caring for the places we visit. The three reminders guests hear most often are simple:
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Stay on the trail.
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Help protect the forest by cleaning your footwear.
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Take nothing but photographs.
These actions reflect mālama ʻāina. Jennifer Bell explains mālama as caring for and ʻāina as the land. To her, caring for the land means giving it the same attention and respect we would give a child or grandparent.
How You Can Help Protect the Trail?
You do not need an extensive set of rules to make a meaningful difference. Start with these habits:
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Follow the route selected by your guide.
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Respect all closures, barriers and posted instructions.
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Leave rocks, plants and cultural resources where you find them.
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Give wildlife plenty of space.
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Carry out all food, packaging and waste.
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Keep soil, seeds and plant material from moving between forests.
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Keep noise low and share the trail with other visitors.
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Follow any additional instructions provided by your guide.
Stay on the Established Route
Follow the trail or route selected by your guide, even when another path looks shorter or more convenient.
Walking around mud, vegetation or rough ground can gradually widen trails and damage areas that were never intended for foot traffic. Do not leave the route to:
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Take a shortcut
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Reach another viewpoint
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Get closer to wildlife
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Improve a photograph
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Avoid a muddy section
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Explore an unmarked area independently
When your guide chooses a stopping place, remain within that area rather than spreading into nearby vegetation.
Leave Ahu Undisturbed
Some lava-field trails are marked by ahu, deliberately placed stacks of rock that help people follow the route.
Do not:
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Build new rock stacks
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Add stones to an existing ahu
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Remove stones from an ahu
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Rearrange rocks for a photograph
The National Park Service explains that unauthorized rock stacking can confuse hikers, alter the landscape and be culturally inappropriate. Follow existing route markers and leave them exactly as you found them. Read the park’s Leave No Trace guidance.
Respect Closures and Barriers
Never cross a barrier or enter a closed area because it appears safe from where you are standing. Closures may protect:
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Fragile native plants
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Nesting wildlife
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Cultural or archeological resources
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Unstable ground
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Areas affected by volcanic hazards
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Visitors and park employees
Conditions can change quickly. Follow current signs, park instructions and your guide, even if a location was accessible during an earlier visit.
Leave Rocks, Plants and Cultural Resources Untouched
A simple rule applies throughout the hike: look, learn and photograph, but leave everything where it belongs.
Do not collect, move or disturb:
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Lava rocks or minerals
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Flowers, leaves, seeds or wood
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Feathers or animal remains
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Historic or archeological objects
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Anything associated with a cultural place
Do not move an object for a photograph, even if you intend to return it afterward. Its original position may hold scientific, historical or cultural information.
Protect Archeological and Cultural Places
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park contains historic trails, house platforms, agricultural features, petroglyphs and other evidence of generations of Native Hawaiian life.
Do not:
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Climb, sit or stand on rock structures
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Move stones from walls, platforms or other features
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Touch or trace petroglyphs
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Make petroglyph rubbings
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Place bags, poles or other equipment on cultural structures
At Puʻuloa Petroglyphs, visitors must remain on the boardwalk because walking directly over the area can fragment and permanently damage the carvings. See the National Park Service’s Puʻuloa guidance.
Help Protect Native Hawaiian Forests
Soil, seeds and plant material can travel from one place to another on footwear, trekking poles, backpacks, clothing and other outdoor equipment.
One important concern on Hawaiʻi Island is Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death, or ROD. This fungal disease can clog an ʻōhiʻa tree’s vascular system and prevent water from reaching its canopy. ʻŌhiʻa is a keystone species in Hawaiian forests, so protecting it also helps protect the wider ecosystem.
Volcanoes Hiking Guides’ Shoe-Cleaning Process
At the trailhead, visible soil is removed from the soles of both guides’ and guests’ shoes. The soles are then treated with 70% rubbing alcohol.
After leaving a forested area, footwear is cleaned again to reduce the chance of carrying contaminated soil, seeds or plant material to another location.
Guests can help by:
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Arriving with shoes free of heavy mud and soil
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Keeping personal hiking equipment clean
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Using trailhead sanitation stations when directed
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Staying on established trails
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Avoiding the movement of plants, wood or soil
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Following current instructions from the park and their guide
The National Park Service recommends cleaning shoes before and after entering forests, removing soil and treating footwear with 70% rubbing alcohol or a freshly mixed 10% bleach solution. Read the official Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death guidance.
Give Wildlife Space
Wildlife should be able to feed, rest, travel and care for young without changing its behavior because people are nearby.
Never:
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Feed wildlife
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Follow an animal
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Surround or block an animal
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Call an animal closer
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Approach for a photograph
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Leave food where wildlife can reach it
Use binoculars or a zoom lens rather than moving closer.
Protecting Nēnē
Nēnē, Hawaiʻi’s native goose, may be seen near trails, roads and parking areas. Stay at least 60 feet away, never feed them and drive carefully in areas where birds may be present.
Before moving a vehicle that has been parked for some time, check around and underneath it because nēnē may seek shade near vehicles. Temporary closures may also be introduced to protect nesting birds and goslings.
Current National Park Service guidance continues to require visitors to remain at least 60 feet from nēnē. Read the park’s wildlife protection guidance.
If wildlife is nearby, children should remain close to their supervising adult. Never encourage a child to chase, feed or approach an animal for a photograph.
Carry Out Everything You Bring
Nothing from the hiking group should remain on the trail.
Carry out:
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Food wrappers
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Tissues
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Gum
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Fruit peels
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Leftover food
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Crumbs
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Hygiene products
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Damaged personal equipment
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Every other item brought onto the trail
“Biodegradable” does not mean that an item belongs in the landscape. Food scraps can attract wildlife and change natural feeding behavior.
Never leave waste in a lava crack, under a rock, behind vegetation or beside the trail. If something falls from your pack, retrieve it when it is safe to do so or tell your guide.
Use designated restroom facilities when they are available. If you need a restroom during the hike, tell your guide early rather than leaving the group or route independently.
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Keep Food Away From Wildlife
When eating on the trail:
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Keep food and open bags under control.
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Never feed birds or other animals.
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Pick up wrappers, leftovers and crumbs.
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Check the area before leaving.
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Carry all packaging and food waste out with you.
Guests who bring personal snacks remain responsible for their food, packaging and leftovers.
Share the Trail Respectfully
A guided group should not prevent other visitors from enjoying the trail.
Whenever possible:
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Keep the group together.
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Allow other hikers to pass.
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Avoid blocking narrow sections.
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Stop only where the group can do so safely.
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Keep voices at a considerate level.
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Turn off music and speaker audio.
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Avoid lengthy photography setups in busy areas.
Photography follows the same conservation rules as hiking. Do not leave the route, approach wildlife, move rocks or plants, stand on cultural structures or cross a closure to take a photograph.
Conservation on the Ancient Forest & Bird Hike
The Private Mauna Loa Ancient Forest & Bird Hike explores the Puʻu ʻŌʻō Trail area, where older Mauna Loa lava flows meet native koa and ʻōhiʻa forest.
Because forest health and native bird habitat are central to this experience, guests should be especially careful to:
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Arrive with clean footwear.
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Complete the trailhead shoe-cleaning process.
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Stay on the established route.
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Avoid carrying soil or plant material between forest areas.
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Keep voices low around wildlife.
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Give native birds space.
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Leave plants, wood and forest material untouched.
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Carry out everything brought onto the trail.
Bird sightings are never guaranteed. The goal is to experience native habitat without disturbing wildlife or damaging the ecosystem being explored.
How Volcanoes Hiking Guides Reduces Its Impact?
Conservation is part of how Volcanoes Hiking Guides plans and leads its experiences.
On Every Hike
Guides provide a short conservation briefing, follow current closures and help guests understand how their actions can affect the surrounding landscape.
Guides also collect litter when they encounter it on the trail.
Reducing Disposable Waste
Reusable food containers, silverware and rain gear are used where appropriate. When an applicable experience includes sandwiches, they are sourced from a local provider in Volcano, Hawaiʻi.
Supporting Forest Restoration
The Volcanoes Hiking Guides team has participated in the National Park Service’s Stewardship at the Summit, helping remove invasive Himalayan ginger inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Learn about Stewardship at the Summit.
Jennifer has also supported the Hawaiʻi Foodbank and previously donated to Leave No Trace and Friends of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.
Volcanoes Hiking Guides does not claim that a fixed percentage of current revenue is donated.
A Lesson That Extends Beyond the Trail
Jennifer hopes guests leave with more than photographs and facts about volcanoes. Her broader message is that conservation is not limited to parks or hiking trails. It is a way of living with respect for the Earth every day.
The habits are straightforward:
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Stay on the trail.
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Leave natural and cultural resources untouched.
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Respect wildlife.
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Carry out your waste.
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Keep footwear and equipment clean.
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Follow closures and current guidance.
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Share the landscape respectfully.
A responsible hike leaves guests with memories and a deeper understanding while leaving the landscape itself undisturbed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready for Your Next Adventure?
Help Us Care for the Places We Explore
Choose a guided hiking experience and discover Hawaiʻi’s volcanic landscapes with a team that makes conservation part of every hike.
Can’t find a date for your preferred hike? Call or email us and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.
Official Visitor Resources
Company practices on this page were provided by Jennifer Bell, Founder and Lead Guide at Volcanoes Hiking Guides.
Last reviewed: September 12, 2026