As we enter the peak tourism months for our National Parks it is a fine time remind folks that stacking rocks (also known as cairns) may seem like a wholesome and harmless activity to engage in while visiting places like Yosemite but its actually highly discouraged at the vast majority of National Parks for a variety of reasons.
In a handful of National Parks like El Malpais, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes, and Acadia cairns are used as waypoints to keep hikers on the correct path and these cairns are maintained by park staff and should not be disturbed. With that said, visitors stacking rocks recreationally can lead hikers in the wrong direction and create emergency situations.
On top of the obvious navigational hazards of stacking rocks for your personal entertainment, there are also environmental impacts to consider. While it may seem nitpicky, any time a rock is removed from its embedded location insects, aquatic macroinvertebrates, fish, and animals can be forced from their hiding places and homes. Additionally moving rocks to fulfill your dreams of the ultimate Instagram picture may also generate faster rates of erosion. Finally there are aesthetic impacts as the interrupted visual cues of visitor created rock stacks can take away from what is natural and insert a pesky human reminder that the visitor is not alone.
If you had any question about Yosemite National Park’s opinion on cairns, you won’t after watching this simple video posted on the park’s social media of Wilderness Restoration Ranger handling a large cairn. While you may think twice about destroying someone’s attempt at art, dismantling cairns, is in keeping with Yosemite’s Leave No Trace ethics code which includes leaving rocks, plants and other natural objects as you find them.
Busting up cairns might seem infantile like a toddler demolishing a block tower for the sheer pleasure of watching them crash, its actually very much encouraged in most National Pakrs and is a highly satisfying thing to do at any age. Remember folks, every National Park has different rules about cairns, so it’s always a good idea to check your park’s website for information on hiking trails before you go.
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK PSA:
Should you knock this over??
Yes!
Why did Wilderness Restoration Rangers dismantle this rock cairn? According to Leave No Trace ethics when we recreate in wilderness spaces, our goal is to leave no signs of our impact on the land and respect other creatures living in it. Unfortunately, this dramatically oversized cairn is a mark of human impact and is distracting in a wilderness setting. Building rock cairns also disturbs small insects, reptiles, and microorganisms that call the underside home!
When used appropriately, rock cairns are great for navigation, safety, and delineating a new or hard-to-follow trail. In general, rock cairns should only be constructed by rangers and trail workers. Please dismantle and refrain from building rock cairns when you visit Yosemite. Check local recommendations when you visit other places.
Leave What You Find
- Preserve the past: examine, but do not touch, cultural or historic structures and artifacts.
- Leave rocks, plants and other natural objects as you find them.
- Avoid introducing or transporting non-native species.
- Do not build structures, furniture, or dig trenches.
