Yosemite National Park recently shared a video on their Facebook page, which showcases someone knocking over a cairn (a stacked pile of rocks). Surprisingly, the park encourages visitors to do the same if they come across these structures. This unconventional approach aims to uphold the park’s leave-no-trace principles, as the park believes that these man-made cairns are distracting and disrupt the natural habitat of insects, reptiles, and microorganisms that inhabit the area.
While Yosemite’s announcement has stirred up controversy and confusion, other national parks have a different perspective. Officials from Arches and Canyonlands national parks in Utah advise visitors to leave the cairns untouched. Some of these cairns have been built by rangers as navigational guides, and there is concern that knocking them down may lead to people getting lost in the desert. Karen Garthwait, a spokesperson for these national parks, emphasizes the importance of not disturbing or adding to these structures.
This issue surrounding cairns is a complex one. All parks agree that hikers should refrain from building new cairns. When it comes to existing ones, the situation becomes more nuanced. Some cairns serve a vital purpose in guiding hikers along the correct route, while others are purely decorative. To determine whether knocking down an existing cairn is appropriate, it is best to seek guidance from a park ranger.
In conclusion, the controversy surrounding cairns in national parks highlights the importance of balancing environmental preservation and visitor experience. Each park has its own guidelines and perspectives on this matter, emphasizing the need for visitors to be informed and respectful of park regulations.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
