New signs in Boulder will instruct Sundance and other visitors how to behave in town and in nature

Visitors to Boulder will see the signs, all around town and inside their Airbnbs and hotel rooms — do not make a mess.

The appeal to “leave no trace” lands just in time for the Sundance Film Festival, when about 50,000 visitors are expected to come to town from Jan. 21 to Jan. 31. But that was a happy coincidence. 

The seven principles to respecting the city and its trails, now featured on posters and pamphlets being spread around Boulder, were the result of a collaboration between Leave No Trace, a national nonprofit based in Boulder, and the local visitors bureau, called Visit Boulder.

Visit Boulder in October became the first tourism-destination organization to receive a “gold standard designation” from Leave No Trace, which has given similar awards to 70 parks, resorts and educational programs across the country, including seven national parks. 

The seven “BoulderWise” principles — from picking up trash and recycling, to riding public transit, to checking the weather before hitting the trail — are designed to educate tourists on the way Boulder tries to live. The details are instructive, particularly for people who don’t live in such outdoorsy places:

Carry and refill a reusable water bottle. People hiking uphill have the right of way, which means people going downhill should step out of the way. Take at least 70 steps off the trail when nature calls, and pack out the toilet paper. Don’t blast music while hiking. 

A heavy drum beat blaring from a portable speaker is “the last thing I want to hear while I’m out running,” said Julie McHale, Visit Boulder’s marketing manager for visitor and community impact and an avid trail runner. That falls under the sixth principle, “cultivate kindness.” 

The new gold-standard designation “puts a bow on” what Visit Boulder has been working on for a while, McHale said. Besides the posters, visitors will see the principles if they check out the visitors bureau’s website while planning their trip. 

To earn the gold standard, Boulder had to demonstrate a strong collaboration and shared vision with the city, state and University of Colorado, as well as Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks. Part of that was a transportation plan that included hiker shuttles, including for Colorado Chautauqua, Hessie Trailhead and Eldorado Canyon State Park. 

Visit Boulder also had to work with hotels and local businesses to create a joint plan to market sustainable travel. The model is one that other visitors bureaus could copy, to show how tourism organizations can help protect the local environment, McHale said.

Leave No Trace was founded in Boulder 32 years ago, but the phrase dates back to the 1980s when the federal government first started saying it. The U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service began using the slogan after an uptick of recreation on public lands, said Dana Watts, executive director of Leave No Trace.  

The outdoor industry and outdoor schools picked it up, and the phrase was powerful enough that a nonprofit was formed to manage its principles and make them worldwide. 

The mission of Leave No Trace is to use science-based education and strategy to help people understand the importance of preserving and protecting nature, and to “care for the land while they are enjoying it,” Watts said. The nonprofit is funded largely by corporate giving, including REI Co-op and Airbnb. 

National parks, state parks and outdoors programs earn a Leave No Trace designation by bringing that mission to life, often through park ranger training programs, signs on trails and visitors centers, volunteer training and junior ranger programs. Of the 64 national parks in the United States, seven have the gold-standard designation so far. Rocky Mountain National Park is not yet one of them. 

Colorado has several state parks with the designation, however. Those include Roxborough, Cheyenne Mountain and Barr Lake.

The City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks just earned its designation this fall. McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area near Fruita is on the list. Outfitters, education programs and mountain resorts are also on the list. Visit Boulder is the first in the “tourism destination” category. 

Boulder is accustomed to hosting large events — think BOLDERBoulder and the Boulderthon races. But Sundance brings some unknowns, in terms of how much of a mess it will make. 

Will visitors stick to the film venues and restaurants? How many will hit the trails at Chautauqua or Eldorado Canyon? Will it be snowing?

“A lot of people aren’t sure how it’s going to play out,” Watts said. “It is winter, but we have had some funky winters in the last couple of years. It’s hard to know what to expect, weather wise. You can get out on trails any time of year, but you do need to be prepared.” 

See BoulderWise principle No. 1: “Bring water, snacks, sunscreen and layers for Colorado’s quick-changing weather. Help prevent wildfires by following all fire and smoking bans year-round.”