Getting outside gives us the chance to connect with nature and exercise our bodies, minds, and spirits.

But spending time in nature also comes with the responsibility to respect it — and leave it unharmed. As photos posted by a Redditor show, not everyone is willing to share in that responsibility.

The hiker shared photos from a recent hike on the r/Adirondacks subreddit, highlighting the trash left by others on the trails. Understandably, they felt disappointed and angry after encountering such a mess.

"It means you have absolutely zero self respect, self awareness, or regard for other people or the places you visit," the original poster wrote.

On top of that, the hiker also spotted several spur trails — makeshift trails created by hikers that branch off of the main trail. Only New York conservation officials, or those designated by officials, are legally allowed to create trails in the Adirondacks.

"When you go to the mountains there will be rock and mud on established trails and it's part of hiking the mountain," they wrote. "It's rude, disrespectful and illegal to create spur trails so your yeezees and flip flops don't get muddy."

Littering not only creates an eyesore in some of nature's most beautiful places, but it also does real environmental damage. Animals may end up eating trash, much of which they cannot digest. This can end up proving fatal.

Unfortunately, many visitors to our trails and parks don't seem to care. Social media is rife with examples of trash being left behind in these locations.

"I think they need more reminders in the parking lots and perhaps staff there on peak days to verbally convey this message," one commenter wrote. "There are so many selfish, uninformed people now roaming our parks."

But others, discouraged by the behavior described by the OP, said reminders likely wouldn't do the trick.

"Sadly, I think people who do things like the above just don't care," one wrote. "It's not that people don't know littering and leaving trash isn't right."

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