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Welcome to the Top Seven Tips to take on the Trails Series. Tip One: Water. What is a scarce resource inside of the desert? Water. What's something that you need in order to survive? Water. In order to hike safely inside of the park you need to bring your own water. We recommend you bring at least one liter of water per hour that you'll be hiking, or as much water as you can carry, because unlike that Joshua tree, you don't store water inside of your body for months at a time. So stay safe! Tip Number Two: Clothing and Sunscreen. The desert can be a hot and pokey place, so remember that your clothing, and shoe choices, can help protect you. Wear sunscreen year round to protect your delicate skin from the sunburn, and closed-toed shoes to keep your feet safe. In the spring and summer wear loose light-fitting clothing to keep you cool. In the fall and winter, when it gets cold and windy, pile on the layers. Remember year round hats are your best friend! Bonus they produce your own shade. Tip Number Three: Salty Snacks. You're hiking your favorite trail in the park... it's hot... the sun is beating down on you... you're sweaty... you're tired, but you are prepared for this moment, you packed yourself salty snacks! Lots of them. When you're exerting yourself in an arid environment salty snacks can actually help your body retain moisture and keep you going when you're on the trail. Food's a really hard thing to improvise so just bring it with you. Lots of it, and don't forget your water. Tip Number Four: Pack it in Pack it out When you're done with your delicious snack, be sure to pack out all of your own trash, including orange peels and plastic wrappers and don't let the wind take it away from you either. We want to keep the park beautiful for generations to come, and that cleanliness begins with you. So when you're done with your snack, remember to pack out all your own trash, and dispose of it properly. Tip Five: Know Where you can Go. Navigating the desert can be confusing so it's important to have a plan before you even get here. Do some research on the park website to learn about the different trails in the park, with difficulties and conditions and lengths. We have a trail for everyone, so just find the one that works for you and everyone else in your group, then when you get here pick up a park map from the visitor center or from the park kiosk to help you in your journey. Most importantly tell someone where you're going and when you should be back. Happy Trails! Tip 6: Tread Lightly. It's really important when hiking in the park to stay on the designated trails. You can see behind me the trail is really well defined by thousands of people walking on it, but it's not a great place for plants to grow. Off the trail though the soil is still really nice and fluffy and it's an awesome place for plants to sink their roots into, but if we all started walking on it plants wouldn't be able to grow there anymore. So do your part to protect the desert ecosystem and tread lightly. Tip 7: Know Wildlife Regulations. There are many different animals that live in the park including coyotes, desert tortoise, bighorn sheep, bats, and various other animals. What we do affects animal behavior so it's really important to know how to act to lessen our impact. For example, never touch or approach wildlife. Use the rule of thumb — if you stick out your thumb and the animal is bigger than your thumb, you're too close. If an animal is in danger there's no reason you should approach it. Call a Ranger, like me, and we will handle the situation.