Please don’t wipe out Mother Nature.
Tasteless tourists at Yosemite National Park have been put on blast for littering a popular hiking trail with loads of used toilet paper.
Angry rangers called out the inconsiderate visitors on Instagram Tuesday, when a discarded toilet paper roll and a pile of crumpled-up sheets were found discarded near the stunning Rancheria Falls.
“Picture this: Yosemite’s majestic wilderness, stunning vistas, and… surprise! Used toilet paper waving hello near Rancheria Falls — a full roll too!” the park wrote on its official Instagram page.
“Unfortunately, this is a sight that’s become all too familiar in Yosemite, even in wilderness areas.”
In their pointed post, park officials reminded visitors to take whatever toilet paper they bring in on their visits back out of the park with them — even if its used or dirtied.
“You can bring a sealable plastic baggie to stash it in, and even cover the bag in tape so you don’t have to look at it. Because really, nobody wants to stumble upon a surprise package left by an anonymous outdoor enthusiast,” the park wrote.
Images shared along with the message show handfuls of crumbled up tissue left along the ground in front of the staggering natural beauty of the falls. Fortunately, the nasty litter did not appear to have been used during a bathroom trip.
Park officials also reminded guests not to bury their toilet paper as it can be easily exposed by weather, erosion or by animals digging it up.
Toilet paper can also take up to 3 years to decompose, depending on conditions, the park said.
“Some animals may even use it for nesting material (ew). Let’s keep things clean and classy out there, by packing out whatever you carry in,” the park wrote.
“Follow #LeaveNoTrace ethics to be sure our adventures make memories, not messes!” the park added.
Leave No Trace is a set of principals designed to educate wildlife and national park visitors about conservation and how to minimize human impact on nature, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
The park noted in its post, which had gained over 13,000 likes as of Wednesday, that the site of unseemly trash and rubbish in parks has become “all too familiar.”
