News

Actions

Visitor-built cairns clutter trails at Arches National Park, officials say

Posted at 3:47 PM, Aug 04, 2015
and last updated 2015-08-04 17:48:23-04

MOAB, Utah — Visitor-built cairns at Arches National Park cause clutter and are a potential threat to those hiking on the trails, according to park officials.

Cairns may look like whimsical rock sculptures, but the Arches National Park Facebook page writes, they are important tools built by rangers to facilitate navigation of park trails.

“Visitor-built cairns can lead people off-trail, damage biological soil crust and cause visual clutter,” the post writes.

Officials ask to leave the cairn building to the rangers, which will promote visitor safety and park health.