Mystery Vandalism of Adirondacks’ Navigation Guides, Do You Know Who Did This?

New York State department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is seeking information regarding the destruction of nearly every rock cairn on Wright Peakin the Adirondacks. Do you know who might have done this?

A rock cairn is a man-made stack of stones used for various purposes including landmarks to help navigate hiking trails lacking in trees. You might also encounter a rock cairn created to serve a s a memorial.

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On Monday, September 15th, nearly every rock cairn on Wright Peak summit in the Adirondacks was destroyed. These rock cairns were built by trail crew and summit stewards to help hikers stay on-trail above the tree-line and avoid trampling alpine vegetation.

It’s crucial to leave cairns as you see them. If you have any information regarding the destruction of the Wright Peak cairns, please contact Info.R5@dec.ny.gov.

There is some confusion regarding rock cairn. While some are created for navigational purposes there are many created to serve as a memorial. There are several publications that suggest hikers destroy memorials but how do you know the difference?

According to the Ausable Freshwater Center, rock stacking is a violation to the "leave no trace" policy in New York State. Rock stacking in forests and on mountains could mislead hikers off trail and lead to dangerous results.

Leave No Trace asks that you leave what you find, officially designated cairns need to be left in place. Altering these cairns in any way poses a threat to visitor safety, and the ethic of the area visiting.