The Controversy of Cairns

Are we also forgetting that humans are part of nature. So much self loathing, and liking to pretend humans don’t exist while on a hike. A cairn shows you’re not the first human in that spot. Good to know if you want to be the first person there. If aliens came from another planet to study Earth, they would study us, like we study bears or cougars or fish, which by the way, all move rocks and leave prints, scent and scratch marks, when they move around. Humans also have a desire to leave signals to other humans, because we ALSO are animals that desire socialization. Maybe the planet would be better if we remembered, and were reminded of that on our hikes sometimes. Native Americans also left rock carvings and graffetti, and we see that as okay now, in fact, archeologically worthy of preservation. Same with ancient peoples all over the world. We are what we are, where we are; and the Earth actually made us this way. And we belong here. And the Earth is big enough and old enough that it will eventually erase and/or change all things anyway. So, let’s just, at least sometimes, enjoy a cairn for what it is- an interesting, highly adapted species of animals way to communicate with each other.

I just visited John O Groats where there are seemingly hundreds of cairns on the beach. I took great delight in kicking some over, they look terrible and aren’t guiding anyone anywhere.

Obviously multiple cairns are unsitely but in contrast essential navigation cairns are no more and actually a lot less intrusive to the wilderness then the actual trail itself. Many “trails” actually are the cairns themselves. If you are the purist neo wilderness junky then get off the trail and start bushwhacking crosscountry. Everywhere is wilderness with no people and no trace once you get 1/2 mile off any trail. Quit complaining!!.

One cairn is a marker. More than that, it becomes an egotistical contest of idiocy.

Cairns are simply man-made litter using natural materials. Destroy them all without mercy.

I agree with Rurik above. In certain places where they are actually helpful as a trail markers (specifically through rocky areas with no visible trail), then I find them and have found them helpful at times.
However, those are the more rare needed moments. Where there is an obvious trail or direction of travel, and when I look up and see the terrain dotted with them, I find that neither needed or helpful. It stands as a marker to people, not nature, creativity, or art to me, and I will continue to take them down…partly due to my valuing LNT principles.
Moderation and in appropriate locations seems to be determiners to me in this.

I agree with Rurik above. In certain places where they are actually helpful as a trail markers (specifically through rocky areas with no visible trail), then I find them and have found them helpful at times.
However, those are the more rare needed moments. Where there is an obvious trail or direction of travel, and when I look up and see the terrain dotted with them, I find that neither needed or helpful. It stands as a marker to people, not nature, creativity, or art to me, and I will continue to take them down…partly due to my valuing LNT principles.
Moderation and in appropriate locations seems to be determiners to me in this.

I’m glad to see this as a discussion. Cairns are an essential tool for navigation. A tool dating back centuries. Think mile stone in it’s simplest cultural form. Though in the mountains they are a safety tool as a guide up is also a guide down. Which is especially valuable when it comes to avoiding known or unknown perils. They are not a form of self expression to dot every available location. When this happens the message and value get lost. Sadly it is the later that happens the most. Often further degrading the surroundings as people scour to find rocks. Which only further displaces soil because it’s not just our shoes that disrupt. Removing the rocks pulls apart the cradle for soil and vegetation. Simply if you want to build one don’t but if it is really needed someone likely already has.

I agree that rockpiles, especially along well developed trails, are litter and ruin the experience, and likely left by someone who is trying to “peace out” a mile into their hike. For true believers, cairns are sometimes a welcome navigational tool. I have been saved by them (relative) on more than one occasion (two). And, sometimes it is nice to know that you are not completely alone when going solo in a very isolated area. I do agree that one “cairn” is sufficient. A huge pile of rocks, or multiple rock piles are just unsightly and for the ill equipped or inexperienced, just useless.

I kick down almost all cairns and despise them. Cairns along a plainly obvious trail are just litter and stupid. Cairns off trail are often ridiculous. The route follows a ridge, so follow the ridge! In maybe one out of a thousand cases a cairn is truly helpful and well advised.

Keep the wilderness wild!

As long as you don’t destroy the homes of insects, birds, fish or small mammals, build all the cairns you like. They will either stand or fall based on their engineering or aesthetics. For crying out loud, people, humans have been expressing themselves by stacking rocks for well over half a million years, now. I find the form vastly superior to graffiti, trash, graded pathways, scarred trees, and dowsed ashpits.

I’ve been in situations where a true Cairn has led me in the right direction, thankfully. But to come across a sea of false cairns just makes me wonder what kind of person feels the need to STACK ROCKS! YOU ARE STACKING ROCKS!!!
If this is your best attempt to express yourself artistically, maybe you should take a watercoloring or pottery class at your local community college.
Yes, I’ve built a couple Cairns myself to help find my way home, but I’ve always disassembled them after they’ve served their purpose.

Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints… Amen!

I kick them down too.

I have always hated cairns with a passion. I always kick them down.

In locations I’ve been, if I see a cairn I know I haven’t been far enough. When in the remotest regions with only compass and map, no trails, no signs of modern visitors (meaning within the last century) and I come across an overgrown with weeds, tree roots or weathered in place cairn, I camp there—- and in quite reflection ponder who built this small monument of their passing thru. Who were they, where from, where were they going and why. I pay homage to that intrepid explorer(s) and hope to live up to their same expectations. I am 67 years old.

I use the term “rock pile” to distinguish from a cairn. Cairns have actual navigation purpose while rock piles are graffiti.

Rock piles disturb the landscape and can disturb insects and other wildlife living under them (especially in waterways).

Don’t build one, and if you do, knock it down when you are done. If you leave it there, it is an egotistic signal to other people who visit the same place. It isn’t “art”, it is you leaving yet another stain on the natural world. Our day-to-day lifestyle does enough of that, don’t do it in the wilderness.

People visit wilderness areas to get away from the signs of our human occupation of this planet and rock piles defeat that purpose.

have never met a cairn that has not led me astray, so now totally ignore them. Although a pile of stones, sure beats bits of fluro plastic tape tied to every tree /post on the trail that leads you astray as well)

Rock Cairns! Where I live many tracks and trails are marked with steel poles with an orange plastic top! otheres with wooden poles with trail identification decals. I would love them to be replaced with nice simple rock cairns that are in harmony with my environment

Mosey through the Karakorams and you will see cairns all over, and no they aren’t trail markers.
Experienced trekers consider them as high mountain graffiti.

My thought was that they were put up as watchers , considering the religious affiliations of the area (we were on our way to K2 Basecamp), and considering that there is a VERY THIN overlay of Islam on top of the OLD native animism this could be an explanation…..
They WERE quite interesting and dang ubiquitous.

As someone who has traveled in remote arctic areas, I will say that finding cairns can be really exciting. But here’s the thing: those rock structures were often very old, and built by First Nations when they used the rivers as trade routes etc.
As a white person I would have to say I do not have a full understanding of the cultural significance of these structures and would not want to leave my own (though I have built them and taken them down before I move on)

There have been times on the PCT I was glad a very few, well spaced cairns were there. There have been other times I wished someone had put one in. But, when I see them in unnecessary abundance, just for the hell of it, they are obtrusive, at the very least. If you need to be artistic, please do it at home. And, it looks like I’ll have to rethink my appreciation for cairns at safe river crossings, as well!

As an avid cairn constructor, I’m surprised some people would be offend by there prescience. Ecologically it makes sense to limit the use in certain areas. One of the magical parts about building a rock column is the temporary nature of there exaistence. Unlike carving a name in a tree, a wind gust or passing hiker can easily return the rocks to the ground they came from like the tide taking a sand castle back to its origins. I view them as a temporary work of art to pleasantly suprise a future passer by. If a viewer looks past the energy and skill it took to create the stunning rock balance and instead sees it as an intrusion into their experience then perhaps they have greater life issues and could benefit from an improved life outlook… Perhaps the rest of their time in nature will help.

I generally agree with your conclusion and would consider myself “pro-cairn.” I find them helpful and not disruptive to the experience.

Your 3rd pro-cairn point is weak, however. Those without any basic navigational skills (simple map reading, awareness of environment/directions, topographical awareness) have no business being in the woods without a guide or a willingness to improve their skills. You don’t have to be a NOLS guide to go a hike, but you should be knowledgeable enough to complete the trip or do what you can to get out of navigational jam if there are no other aids.

I think it depends on the place and the method constructed.
In the Adirondacks for example, there is (was?) a sign in the parking lot at one of the more popular trailheads to carry a rock or two up with you to the peak. There was a place at the top to leave them. Then, volunteers use them to create a “trail” on the bald peaks to preserve the alpine flora, and cairns to mark where to go in bad weather. I’ve definitely been up there where I couldn’t see anything, and just ran from cairn to cairn in hurricane-like conditions. In this example, its part of a broader goal to protect fragile plants: the cairns guide you along the trail even when you can’t see in front of you.

Cairns. First of all, I agree with your conclusion. I’d like to add that in most instances they are marking a trail that is difficult to discern and are certainly helpful. Rarely have I seen the over abundance of them (other than on the edge of Angel’s Landing/Zion) and for the most part, most of them have been there for years. The beauty of the experience far outweighs the appearance of an occasional pile of rocks. To be truly honest, if you are lucky enough to be on a trail with the need for some guidance so you won’t get lost, consider yourself lucky. You are most likely somewhere amazing.

I found this article via pinterest and it had never occurred to me that there would be controversy over these. I have actually found them to be quite useful on all the trails that I have been on, using them as indicators as to where I came from.

I can see how a ton of them in one spot could be obtrusive, but I have to agree that if this is a huge point of anger for people on the trails, they need to reevaluate their experience out in the wild.

I, like yourself had never given much thought to the cairns. I never minded them and on a few occasions was dammed glad to see one!

I just happened upon this Articel for what ever reasons. I think that the whole cairns thing is just a matter of them being used poorly. In the right spot they are helpful and not a bad option as some other things. However stacking hundreds of them for the sake of it is pretty dumb as is the habit of building or adding to cairns when you summit a hill just so you can leave your mark.

In short used properly for a decent purpose (navigation aid) is ok but just stacking them for the sake of it is dumb.

I am a student and work in an ecology lab with birds but several of my friends work with salamanders. I live in North Carolina where hellbenders, a large type of salamander are being threatened. Our work has shown that lift and moving rocks disturbs the breeding ground for them and we have actually started putting signs in several places that ask the public to refrain from moving rocks because of the hellbenders. So in streams, cairns aren’t a good thing and while they look pretty cool I hope with proper teaching people will understand that in some places, like rivers and streams, building cairns is detrimental to the water ecology.