Yosemite officials advise visitors to topple rock stacks they come across.

Yosemite ⁤Officials Urge Visitors to ⁣Respect the ​Natural World

City slickers who flock to⁢ Yosemite National⁤ Park received a ⁤pointed lecture ⁣on the subtle‌ nuances ‌of⁢ the⁣ natural world⁣ when⁢ park officials reminded them ‌that the⁣ land‍ is not their playground.

The​ park’s Instagram account⁢ recently showed ⁤a ranger tipping over a ​human-sized rock⁤ cairn‍ and explained why the ​structure​ that kept ​tourists‍ occupied for a ⁢while was ​a ‍nuisance.

“Should you knock ‌this over?? Yes!” the ‍post⁤ said,​ encouraging visitors ‍to⁢ smash what was done by ⁤a previous tourist.

Respecting‌ Leave No Trace ⁤Ethics

“Why did⁢ Wilderness Restoration ‌Rangers⁣ dismantle this ⁤rock ‌cairn? ​According ⁤to​ Leave No​ Trace ethics when we recreate in wilderness spaces, our ⁣goal is to ‍leave ⁤no signs of our‌ impact ⁤on the land and ⁢respect​ other creatures living ⁤in it. Unfortunately, this dramatically⁢ oversized cairn is ‌a mark‌ of human impact and is distracting in a wilderness setting.”

The post⁢ said building rock⁣ cairns harms the natural place tourists come to⁢ experience.

“Building ​rock‍ cairns ⁢also⁤ disturbs small insects, reptiles, and microorganisms that⁣ call⁤ the underside ‌home!”‌ the ‌post explained.

“When used appropriately, rock ⁢cairns are ⁤great for navigation, safety, ‌and delineating a⁣ new⁤ or hard-to-follow trail. In‍ general, rock cairns‌ should only​ be ​constructed by rangers and trail workers. ⁤Please dismantle⁣ and refrain from building rock cairns when you visit Yosemite.”

Have you⁤ ever passed‍ by a ⁢rock ⁤cairn and felt‌ the ‌urge to ⁤knock it⁢ over? ‍Well, ‍officials ⁤with Yosemite ​National Park strongly ⁢advise that you do. https://t.co/tOPQF0etvN​ pic.twitter.com/IkP7R8C9n6

— FOX 5 San Diego (@fox5sandiego)⁣ July 14,⁣ 2023

Debate ⁢Among Visitors

The advice triggered a debate among Instagram ⁤users.

“Thanks for⁢ crushing the poor ⁣indigenous bugs and critters‌ as you topple⁤ over a harmless cairn. You people are⁤ savages,”‍ one user wrote.

“Tries to‍ teach⁣ ‘Leave No ⁢Trace‍ Ethics’ ⁣to ​all of ⁢us, ⁢by ⁤posting a ⁣reel showing us all that they left a trace of⁣ where ⁤they‌ knocked ⁤over the cairn. ‍Probably even did⁤ more damage to ‍the trail, ‌and any insects while doing so,” another user wrote.

“Hey Yosemite, as ⁢a Leave No Trace Master⁤ Educator,‌ we teach ‌to⁢ gently dismantle an ‌unofficial cairn and disperse the rocks, not topple⁤ it or‌ kick ⁤it. ⁣If you are unsure what’s ‌official, leave it be. ‌Thanks!”⁢ yet another ‍user ‌wrote.

“Some of ⁢you have never⁤ been⁣ lost⁢ alone ⁤in remote‍ wilderness‌ because of ⁤‘artistically‍ stacked​ rocks’ masking the true ‌trail ‌markers and it shows,” a different ​user​ commented.

Over at Arches ‍and ⁤Canyonlands National⁣ Parks in Utah, officials also oppose​ building ⁤rock cairns, ‌but say⁤ visitors ⁣should⁤ leave the demolition ‌to them, according to KTVX.

“We ⁢ask ​that visitors do not disturb them, knock⁢ them down, add⁣ to⁤ them, or build ⁣their ‌own, as that can ‍lead ‌to other visitors ‌getting lost in the⁤ desert,” said Karen⁣ Garthwait, a ⁤representative of the‍ parks.⁢ “We also ask that visitors‌ not‍ create⁢ their own sculptures out​ of‌ the rocks that they find ⁤and ⁢collect.”

She ⁢said that “spontaneous ⁤sculpture gardens” distract from ⁢the park’s appearance and that foraging ⁣for just the ‌right ⁣rocks ‍by going off trails ⁢could ⁣damage ⁣the⁤ park’s⁣ ecosystem.

However, ⁢she ⁢said, visitors who​ see cairns ⁢they think are visitor-made should report ⁤them⁢ to⁤ park​ officials because the park has official ones as well to ⁢mark trails.

“Appropriately​ sized ‍rocks are not​ uniformly distributed on all⁤ trails, and some trails ⁢require taller cairns⁢ if ‌the desert terrain​ is uneven or has challenging​ sight lines,” Garthwait ⁤said.

“That said, ranger-built cairns⁣ tend ⁣to have at least ‍three levels ⁤of ⁤rocks, are built for ⁣stability, and are positioned ‌so​ that you can see the⁣ next⁣ one at a linear distance ​from ⁢the ‍previous one,”​ she ​said, saying ⁣one ​sign of ‍an ⁢unofficial​ cairn is that the rock structure will look ‍“precarious.”

The post Yosemite​ Officials Urge Visitors ‍to Knock ​Over ​Any Rock‌ Stacks They ​Encounter appeared first on The Western ‌Journal.

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