Leave the gate as you found it

rule of courtesy in rural areas

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. If you need to go through the gate, it should be closed again after you enter.

An open gate to a field

In place where there is little rainfall, closing gates can stop livestock off from water. For example, most of the land used for grazing in Australia has no water sources, so drinking water for the stock must be given by the farmer.[1]

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

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  1. "Open and Shut a Gate Horseback". MyHorse.com. Archived from the original on 2008-11-20. Retrieved 2010-04-23.

Other websites

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  • 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"