Leave the gate as you found it

Leave the gate as you found it is an important rule of civilty in non-urban areas worldwide. If a gate is open, it should be left open, and if it is closed, it should be left closed.

In place where there is little rainfall, closing gates can stop livestock from getting to water. For example, most of the land used for grazing in Australia has no water sources. Because of that, drinking water for the stock must be given by the farmer.

The original versions of the United Kingdom's Country Code advised visitors to always close gates. The Countryside Code suggests that gates should be left as found.

References

Other websites
 Rules of the Trail Advice from the International Mountain Bicycling Association
 Camping on BLM Land A regional office of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management asks visitors to "Tread Lightly"

Category:Customs
Category:Agriculture