@explorewithshanny: Official cairns are trail markers. Seeing rocks on the trail is not your opportunity to become the unpaid trail architect. A lot of people feel really strongly about removing cairns made by unpaid trail architects, but please leave the ones in the desert because we will die and get lost if we don’t see them.

Copperjohn66 :

How do you know if the cairns are the good kind or the bad kind

curbsidedaddy1 :

What’s wrong wit using gps

Ken :

Don’t rely on cairns, learn how to navigate, there are much better tools than cairns to navigate with.

TacomaPotato :

Tbh official cairns need to be WAY more robustly built. This looks like a rock stacker.

Skittles & Lemonade :

have you ever heard of the Sun it's a great means of Direction during the day and at night the Stars are a great way of Direction

LookAdistraction :

Care neh not Karen god that drives me insane

Corey Carter :

I just finished 12 days on the Wonderland Trail in Washington and several points where the cairns were officially marking the way as well.

hhallo117 :

those have never been an issue for the ecosystem anyone that says it is is delusional moving some rocks around is it going to destroy the ecosystem and the bugs will just move to a different spot

Stephanie Ann :

Yes the trail markers are ok, it’s the people putting up random ones, especially in water are the problem

feikbounce :

yes Karen's are bad for the ecosystem 😂

MC Loud :

it seems really weird to me the passion some people have about nonsensical things. a stack of rocks does not hurt the ecosystem

moosepaddling :

The ones on alpine ridges are there for navigation also

wildpack88 :

You’re doing the peekaboo/spooky trail. No need for cairns at all. Simple navigation will get you through and back to your car.

Throwaway :

Everyone who argues with me about not kicking down all cairns have never had to hike over 5 miles and they only hike well maintained trails

JJMontana :

Come to Montana. Im working on a wildfire and need your expertise. 😳 What stays and what goes. ????

Casey :

I see so many people knock down ones being used as trail markers.

Paperracquet :

Here’s the real question how long does a stack of rocks have to stay up to become part of the new ecosystem?

Charles Boencb :

Nope

Craneguy00 :

spicybtthle :

too bad

theophilus :

exactly!

N8ure :

@N8ure: Seriously leave cairns in desert and on open mountains

Jonathan Numer :

It is obvious which cairns are for trails because there is usually one marking on the side of a wash where the trail can be changed by the environment

Michael ❌ :

Agreed