The word “cairn” comes from the Scottish Gaelic for stone man can bring up images of faith and the purpose of spiritual journeys. Cairn building is a very popular activity in the backcountry. It’s easy to see why people are drawn to these tiny piles of flat stones that are balanced like children’s blocks. With shoulders aching and black flies buzzing in ears, hikers will survey the stones before her and try to choose one with the right balance of tilt and flatness as well as breadth and depth. After a few near misses (one that’s too bulgy, another that’s too small) the truest will select one that’s perfectly in the spot, and then the second layer of the cairn will be complete.
Many people don’t realize that cairn building can have a negative environmental impact particularly when it is constructed near water sources. When rocks are removed from the edge of in a lake, river, or pond, they alter the ecosystem and destroy the habitat for microorganisms which support the entire food-chain. Additionally that, these rocks can be transported by erosion to locations where they could harm humans or wildlife.
Cairn building should be avoided in areas that are home to rare or endangered reptiles, mammals amphibians, plants, or other species or in areas where the moisture is buried beneath the rocks. And if you build a cairn on private land it could violate state and federal regulations protecting the land’s natural resources and could result in fines or even arrest.