Tick Safety for Hiking and Camping

Quick answer

Before you go, treat boots, clothing and camping gear with 0.5% permethrin and use an EPA-registered repellent on exposed skin. On the trail, walk in the center and avoid brushing against grass and shrubs. Afterward, tumble-dry your clothes on high heat for 10 minutes, shower within two hours, and do a full-body tick check.

Before you go: gear, clothing and repellent

Most tick prevention happens at home, before your boots ever touch the trail. Ticks cannot jump or fly. According to CDC, they wait on the tips of grasses and shrubs, often along well-used paths, and climb on when something brushes past. Your goal is to make that first contact as unrewarding as possible.

Treat clothing and gear with permethrin

• Use products containing 0.5% permethrin on boots, pants, socks, shirts, hats and camping gear such as tents. CDC notes the treatment keeps protecting through several washings.
• Permethrin goes on fabric and gear, not skin.
• The CDC Yellow Book suggests treating items 24 to 48 hours before you pack so they can dry, and re-treating as the label directs.
• You can also buy clothing and gear that has been pre-treated at the factory.

Choose an EPA-registered skin repellent

CDC recommends repellents registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Look for an “EPA Reg. No.” on the label. EPA’s online repellent search tool lets you filter products by pest (choose ticks) and by how long you need protection.

Put sunscreen on first and repellent second. The Yellow Book advises using two separate products rather than a combination product. Apply repellent only to exposed skin and clothing, never under clothing, and reapply as the label says.

Dress for the trail

• Long sleeves, long pants, boots and a hat.
• Tuck your shirt into your pants and your pants into your socks.
• Light-colored clothing makes ticks easier to spot.

On the trail

• Stay in the middle. CDC advises walking in the center of trails and avoiding brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.
• Don’t brush past vegetation. Ticks grab on when you touch the grass or shrubs they are waiting on, so step around overgrown edges when you can.
• Check as you go. CDC suggests checking your body, clothing and gear during and after time outdoors, not just at the end of the day. Rest stops are a good moment for a quick look at your legs and socks.
• Carry a lint roller. CDC mentions rolling one over skin, clothing and gear to pick up unattached ticks you might miss.
• Reapply repellent on long days, following the label. Sweat and water can shorten how long it works, according to EPA.

Camping overnight

• Treat your tent and sleeping bag with permethrin before the trip, or bring pre-treated gear.
• Keep packs and boots zipped inside the tent rather than lying open in grass.
• Check daypacks, jackets and pets carefully. CDC warns that ticks can ride in on clothing and pets and attach to a person later.
• Do a full-body check every evening. If you can’t shower on a backcountry trip, a careful check with a small mirror matters even more.

After the hike: the two-hour routine

1. Clothes into the dryer. CDC says tumble-drying on high heat for 10 minutes kills ticks on dry clothing. Damp clothes may need longer. If clothes must be washed first, use hot water; cold and medium temperatures will not kill ticks.
2. Shower within two hours. CDC says showering within two hours of coming indoors has been shown to reduce the risk of Lyme disease. It can wash off ticks that have not attached yet.
3. Do a full-body check. Use a hand-held or full-length mirror, and check children and pets too.
4. Check your gear. Look over packs, coats, hats and anything that sat on the ground.

Your tick-check body map

Ticks like warm, hidden spots. CDC lists these areas to check:

Blacklegged ticks, which spread Lyme disease, can be tiny, especially before they have fed. Learn what to look for on our ticks that carry Lyme disease page.

If you find a tick

CDC’s removal steps are simple:

1. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as you can with fine-tipped tweezers.
2. Pull straight up with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk.
3. Clean the bite and your hands with soap and water, rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer.
4. Get rid of the tick by sealing it in a container or bag, wrapping it in tape, flushing it, or dropping it in alcohol. Never crush it with your fingers.

Skip petroleum jelly, heat and nail polish. CDC says these tricks can agitate the tick. A small kit with fine-tipped tweezers, alcohol wipes and a zip-top bag fits in any pack. For the days after a bite, see the first 72 hours after a tick bite and how long a tick needs to be attached.

Pets on the trail

Dogs pick up ticks in the same places people do, and they can carry those ticks into your tent, car or home.

• Use a tick preventive on your dog. CDC recommends asking your veterinarian which product is best.
• Cats are different. CDC warns never to use a tick product on a cat without checking with your veterinarian first, because cats are very sensitive to many chemicals.
• Never put human repellent on pets unless the label says it is for animals (EPA).
• Check your dog after every outing: in and around the ears, around the eyelids, under the collar, under the front legs, between the toes, between the back legs and around the tail.

More on keeping dogs protected: Lyme disease prevention for dogs.

When ticks are active

CDC says the risk of blacklegged tick bites is highest in spring, summer and fall. Adult blacklegged ticks can also look for a host on winter days whenever temperatures stay above freezing, so a mild winter hike is not automatically tick-free. Lyme disease is most common in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic and upper Midwest, and the western blacklegged tick lives along the Pacific coast. Check your destination on our Lyme disease by state guide.

Printable trail checklist

Frequently asked questions