Do you know the regulations in the Leave Only Footprints program in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach?

It’s pretty basic: Any structures or equipment left on the beach an hour after sunset will be removed and disposed of by beach patrols. That includes chairs, tents and toys.

Regulations also prohibit tents larger than 10 feet by 10 feet, as well as fireworks, pets and glass bottles.

You can’t go wrong if you just leave the beach a little better than you found it. Put your trash in the trash can or recyclable bin.

Since the program was implemented in 2016, visitors have done an impressive job of following LOF rules. But last year, crews collected 161 tons of materials along the beach, so more work needs to be done.

If you haven’t bought beach gear yet, try finding chairs with straps, and coolers or wagons with big wheels for the sand. This will make daily transportation of your items much easier.

It’s easy to follow the LOF rules once you know them. Now go out there and enjoy the beach!