What to Do: The Confusing Case of Rock Cairns in New York State

A difficult debate has emerged in the New York hiking community, and it's centered around something that on the surface seems very simple: small pile of rocks.

These miniature towers, called cairns, can be found on hiking trails across the country and beyond, but their usefulness, and how welcome they are on state and federal property, has been fiercely contested... and has led to serious confusion in the Empire State.

History of Cairns in New York State and Beyond

While cairns have been used on this continent for more than 10,000 years for various purposes, their most common use in the twenty-first century is to help mark walking and hiking trails. The last several years, however, have seen pushback from some environmental professionals.

Should Hikers Destroy Cairns Found on Hiking Trails?

Across the country, there has been major pushback against hikers creating cairns of their own for several reasons. Not only can "civilian" cairns be distracting for hikers following official cairns placed by park workers, but even the act of collecting the rocks can be harmful for the environment (below). The confusion has led to an unfortunate situation in the Adirondacks.

Cairns Destroyed on Wright Peak in the Adirondacks

"ADK has learned that nearly every cairn on the summit of Wright Peak has been destroyed", began a recent post from the Adirondack Mountain Club (below). The toppled towers, which were specifically placed to help with trail navigation, set off a lengthy debate in the comments about who was to blame for what happened.

Did Misinformation Lead to the Destruction of Cairns on Wright's Peak?

"Unfortunately most people believe the rock stacks are bad because their only exposure to them is social media videos saying to knock them over because they’re disruptive to the eco system. Whoever did this probably thought they were doing something good (I hope)", offered one commenter. "This probably has alot to do with national parks that are against cairns and often publicly preach online to knock them down when you see them", agreed another.

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What Hikers Should Do About Cairns in New York State

The easiest guide to deciding whether or not to destroy a cairn should be the same as the one used when deciding whether or not to build one. Unless you are a park employee or trail builder hired for the specific task, the best bet is to leave both creating and dismantling to the professionals. Want to avoid the possibility of cairns altogether? Check out these beautiful Hudson Valley views that don't require a hike below.