Campfires remain an entrenched, cherished institution within contemporary campground culture. Yet today it's rare to find wilderness destinations at higher elevations where wildfires are permitted. Why?

The reasons include:

        Repeated wood-gathering has depleted the high country of soil-stabilizing,
        nutrient-building ground cover.

        Human-built fire rings, with their sooty residue, have tarnished many natural
        settings with scars of human intrusion.

        Poorly tended fires can quickly escalate into ruinous wildfires.
 

 As a result, campfires are now usually restricted to low-elevation zones (typically below 4,000 feet) or drive-in campgrounds. While many people retain a fond,sentimental attachment to campfires, modern backpacking stoves—cleaner, convenient and efficient—have rendered functional backcountry fires nearly obsolete.

Campfires, though, can be lifesavers in emergency situations. If you are wet, cold, without a working stove and unable to find shelter, a fire can help you fight off hypothermia.

If you choose to build a campfire for any reason, follow these guidelines:

 Campfire Tips

        Step 1: Find out if any fire restrictions apply to the area you are going to visit. Check with officials of the
        agency (National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, a state park, et al.) that
        administers the land you are visiting. During severe dry periods, fires may even be prohibited in
        campgrounds. It is your responsibility to know the regulations and how to maintain a fire.

        In campgrounds and other recreation sites, build fires only in fire rings, grills, stoves or fireplaces.

        In portions of the backcountry where fires are permitted, use an existing fire ring if available. If you have to
        build one, dismantle it when you are done. If one already exists, clean it out before you depart. How? See the
        "Pack Out" entry below.

        An alternative to a fire ring: Build a mound fire. Using your sanitation trowel, build a circular, flat platform of
        mineral soil (sandy, light-colored, nonfertile dirt) about 6" to 8" high. Use this as the base for your fire. Ideally,
        build this platform on a flat rock. The goal is to avoid searing (thus sterilizing) any plant-supporting soil below.
        You can easily disperse the mound when you're finished. Some people even haul items like barbecue pans
        into the backcountry to serve as portable bases for fires.

        Clear away all flammable material from your fire "pit." Ideally, the pit (base) of your fire should be
        nonflammable earth (sand, gravel) or mineral soil (often found in streambeds or on gravel bars).

       Use only dead wood lying on the ground. DO NOT cut live trees or break off limbs from standing plants or
        trees, even if they're dead. Wildlife makes use of such snags.

       Collect firewood far away from your site. Otherwise, over time the area will appeared unnaturally
        denuded. In campgrounds, bring your own wood or buy it locally.

        Extinguish all fires by pouring water on them, stirring the ashes, then applying more water. The ashes should be
        cool to touch.

       Pack out any trash found in your pit. Extract any charcoal pieces left inside your ring, carry them away from your
        site, crus the chunks, then scatter the remnants and dust throughout a broad area. Dismantile any structure you
        might have built, and please don't leave behind any stack of wood. This may sound like a a lot of work, but it is the
        responsible way to disguise a camfire's long-lasting aftereffects.