Why stack rocks? They look pretty cool, right? So peaceful in their simple balancing act and make you think of a natural art installation. They kind of give you a moment of ‘wow’ people can leave their mark without graffitiing trees and destroying the environment. Except they are destroying the environment… people are calling out for these rock formations to stop.

We seem to be seeing an increase in them lately, so we thought we would add our voice to the call and explain as best we can why these are bad for the natural places we all love.

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Rocks and the Environment

The impact of people who stack rocks has on the environment

Believe it or not, the rocks people use to create these rock stacks are a crucial part of the natural habitat they belong in.

Moving the rocks changes that habitat negatively. Rocks provide great protection for topsoil. Take the rocks away and the soil is more susceptible to erosion by wind and rain. That leaves less soil for native plants to grow in. Taking rocks from the ground and stacking them needlessly on top of each other takes away shelter for insects and small mammals. The rocks are used as homes, protection when predators are in pursuit and safe places to reproduce.

This is the main reason that conservations the world over are asking us not to stack rocks. We want these trails, national parks and native animals to be protected for the future so everyone can enjoy them.

Rocks and Fresh Water

The impact of people who stack rocks has on the fresh water

Ok, so if you’re taking the rocks from a rocky stream, you won’t be disturbing any soil or mammals. Then it’s fine to make them next to rivers and lakes? These are actually the most disruptive to the natural environment!

Taking rocks from the sides of water sources disrupts the homes of macro-invertebrates, essential to freshwater food chains the world over. Macro-invertebrates help to keep waterways clean and are a food source for larger animals in the waterways. Take away their homes, you take away the macro-invertebrates and then you end up with a knock on effect, essentially destroying the entire ecosystem.

Rock stacks are endangering all the species of the lake or river you took the rock from. So no, there isn’t a place you can pick a rock up from without disturbing the natural environment it came from.

What Happened to Leave No Trace?

Why does leave no trace apply to people who stack rocks

As hikers and eco-conscious people, we all know the call of ‘leave no trace’ when on the trail or in national parks. We understand how it applies to not leaving any rubbish, but we seem to lose the meaning of not disturbing the natural habitats we are hiking in. Leave no trace means we don’t pick flowers, take home pebbles or break branches on our travels.

We can’t say that we are living and hiking by ‘leave no trace’ if we are stacking pebbles up in a clear remark of ‘look, I was here’. That, my friends, is a very obvious trace. Let’s practice ‘leave no trace’ to the utmost of our ability. Let’s be so good at it that without the evidence of our photos, no one would even know we hiked that trail or had a picnic in that park.

What to do When You See Rock Stacks

This is a tricky one. On some trails, park rangers make rock stacks called cairns to mark the trails. These are especially prevalent on remote trails and save lives. So the answer of kicking down every rock stack you come across definitely isn’t the solution.

Cairns can also have a historical and cultural significance depending on where you are in the world. Adding your own rock stack simply because you think they look cool in areas of cultural and historical significance is particularly disrespectful. This is another argument for not knocking down rock stacks. You could be disturbing something that’s been there for centuries.

Our advice is to leave the dismantling to park rangers and to simply not build your own rock stacks. Then you know that any cairns you come across are meant to be there!

But it Makes a Cool Photo!

Now that we know how bad these are for the areas we are hiking through, will you make a rock stack? Some people say that if you really can’t help yourself from making a rock stack for an Instagram photo, then you need to put the rocks back where you found them afterwards. However, you are still disturbing the soil and any insects, micro-organisms, or animals living under the rocks.

Putting it back in a similar place doesn’t change this disturbance. In most instances, this makes it easier for predators to get under the rocks, meaning the home you think you just put back is no longer viable to the creature trying to live there safely.

The Simple Solution is to Not Stack Rocks

We have chosen not to make rock stacks in any scenario as you can’t be 100% certain you aren’t going to be taking a home away from something.

Ultimately, there are lots of cool things to take photos of in the outdoors. You really don’t need to create your own rock stack to achieve an Instagram worthy photo. Trust us on this one. Nature is cool enough on its own!

If you really want a rock photo, why not take a picture of the rocks that are there, leaving them undisturbed, and then brag about what a good conservationist you are on Instagram instead?

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