Ever encountered a cairn on a trail? Don’t you want to know why people leave them or why they’re so important? Read this article to find out.
What are cairns?
Cairns are interesting things you might have stumbled on when on a trail. While they’re starting to gain popularity, they follow an ancient tradition dating back to prehistoric times. Cairn comes from the Gaelic word càrn, which means “heap of stone.”
Back then, these were used as markers for trails and helped provide directions. Sometimes, they were even used as wind shelters and signals. In modern society, more people are making them without knowing their true history. Some people create these as part of a Zen practice.
Navigational use
Cairns have been used for centuries as a way to mark trails and provide directions. In some places, like the Acadia National Park in Maine, there are cairns that have been around for over a century. Waldron Bates created the Bates cairns in 1896. Bates was the author of the park’s hiking maps and used two small rocks placed with a space between them and a long rock on top to create a cairn. These are still maintained today and serve as an important navigational guide.
Another instance of cairns being maintained is in the Carlsbad Caverns National Park and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The ones found in Hawaii are known as ahu, and the local staff and rangers will teach you how to use them to navigate or clarify your location.
Memorials
They have also been used as memorials. In some cultures, they are used to mark the passing of a loved one or to commemorate an event.
Zen practices
Some people create cairns as part of a Zen practice. However, for true hikers, such structures created to practice Zen can be confusing and could send mixed signals, confusing hikers in the process.
National Parks ban making cairns
Because of the increasing popularity of making cairns in the wild, National Parks have started to ban the practice of rock stacking. Although not heavily enforced, some rangers consider this “rock graffiti” and will hold those making unauthorized rock stacks responsible. If you are hiking in the wild and see a pile of stones, unless you are a professional trying to pass on a signal, marker, or sign to others, abstain from creating an unnecessary cairn.
Making Zen cairns responsibly
If you really can’t help it and want to create your own Zen cairns, you can do this in a location you own or that isn’t part of a trail. Unless laws specifically discourage or prohibit their creation, you can create them for Zen practices. Most of the time, multiple cairns together are a sign of Zen practices and not for navigational use. If you really want to make your own Zen structures, do so in a concentrated area to avoid affecting the trail.
The bottom line
You should research the National Park or location where you want to build your cairn. If you want to learn more about the actual uses of cairns, it’s best to go to official park rangers and ask for information. Not all parks or park rangers have them; you can ask them beforehand if you’ll spot a few in the wild before you make your trip. If you want to go to a place with esteemed and protected cairns, the Acadia National Park in Maine is one of your best options.
