The word”cairn” comes from the Scottish Gaelic meaning stone man. It can invoke images of purpose, faith, and spiritual journeys. In the backcountry, making cairns is a popular trend and it’s easy to understand why people are attracted by these sweet little stones that are balanced like child’s building blocks. A hiker with aching shoulders and black fly flies buzzing in her ears will try to pick a stone that has the right mix of flatness, tilt, width and depth. After a few close misses (one that’s too wide, another that’s too small) The solitary will select the one that sets perfectly in place, and the subsequent layer of the cairn becomes complete.
However, what a lot of people don’t realize is that cairn making can have a negative environmental impact, especially when it’s done near water sources. When rock is removed from the edges of a river, pond or lake, it disturbs the ecosystem and destroys the habitat for microorganisms that are essential to the food chain. Additionally the rocks could be transported due to erosion and transported to places where they could harm humans or wildlife.
Cairn construction should be avoided in areas that are home to rare or endangered reptiles, mammals amphibians, reptiles, or flowers or where the water is trapped under the rocks. If you construct the cairn on private property it could violate the federal and state laws protecting the natural resources of the land and may result in fines or even arrest.