SafeX Pro Exchange|Yosemite Park officials scold visitors about dirty habit that's 'all too familiar'

Yosemite’s National Park Service urged visitors to keep things “clean and SafeX Pro Exchangeclassy” recently, offering toilet paper disposal advice in a cheeky new post. 

NPS took to Instagram Monday to shed light on a sight of the toilet tissue variety, one that has become “all too familiar” at the California park, even in wilderness areas. 

“Picture this: Yosemite's majestic wilderness, stunning vistas, and... surprise! Used toilet paper waving hello near Rancheria Falls— a full roll too!” NPS wrote in the caption. 

The Park Service warns that the most common technique to dispose of toilet paper, by way of burial, is easily exposed by weather or erosion and can be dug up by animals looking for nesting material. 

NPS offers a solution for visitors who have to respond when nature calls, stating that a sealable plastic baggie is a good place to stash all used and unused toilet paper. And they add that the bag be covered with tape “so you don't have to look at it.”

“Because really, nobody wants to stumble upon a surprise package left behind by an anonymous outdoor enthusiast … Let's keep things clean and classy out there, by packing out whatever you carry in,” NPS concluded. 

Proper waste disposal is easy, NPS says

The "cheeky" post has garnered thousands of like and hundreds of comments since it was shared on Monday.

A majority of those who commented agreed with the Park Service's stance, offering alternative options like dog poop bags, travel bidet, an antimicrobial pee cloth, cleaning yourself with water as well as placing dryer sheets or baking soda in the bag to mask smell.

"Sadly I see this all too often and it’s only getting worse. If you’re too lazy to take it back out after carrying it in, DON’T go. The wilderness doesn’t want you," Tina Grimm wrote in the comments.

NPS offers guidelines for how to dispose of waste properly online, offering four simple tips so visitors #LeaveNoTrace.

• Pack it in, pack it out. Inspect your campsite and rest areas for trash or spilled foods. Pack out all trash, leftover food, and litter. As appropriate, pack out trash you find.
• Deposit solid human waste in catholes dug in soil six inches deep at least 100 feet from water, camp, and trails. Cover and disguise the cathole when finished.
• Pack out toilet paper and hygiene products.
• To wash yourself or your dishes, carry water 100 feet away from streams or lakes and use small amounts of biodegradable soap. Scatter strained dishwater.