How Stone Stacking Wreaks Havoc on National Parks

Carefully balanced rock towers make a pretty picture, but the proliferation of cairns, fuelled by social media, has negative consequences for the environment.
Sophie Haigney considers #RockStacking, an Instagram trend that’s littering Zion and Acadia national parks with cairns and damaging ecosystems.

A curious but destructive practice - Zion National Park

I Didn't Know That!: Rock Cairns (U.S. National Park Service)

Please don't stack rocks on your next hike. Here's why. - Lonely

Stepping Stone Studios

Social media as a contributor to conflicts in protected areas: experiences, problems, and potential solutions

Why Do People Stack Rocks Along Colorado Trails?

Balanced Rock Structures Teach Us To Go All In

National Parks The New Yorker

I Didn't Know That!: Rock Cairns (U.S. National Park Service)

National Parks The New Yorker

For the Love of the Planet and Humanity

Rock Cairns (U.S. National Park Service)

Granite Mountain Outfitters

Friends of Sandhill (@sandhillwild) / X

Why You Shouldn't Stack Rocks In Wilderness Areas - Unofficial