What is a Rock Cairn?
pronounced: (rõk)·(kârn) noun.
- a pile of stones erected to define a path or mark a memorial. I am next to one on a trail in Chaco Culture National Historic Monument Park.
- Rock cairns are a popular way of marking or defining a trail/route above tree line.
- Below tree line, dead trees, trees with flags, etc. can be used to define a path, but above tree line the best natural resource is rock. By arranging a pile of stones, a marker (rock cairn) can be constructed which is visible from some distance away. By following rock cairns above tree line, the impact to the high alpine tundra can be minimized or controlled.
- With today's modern tool set of all kinds of GPS enabled devices, rock cairns are less necessary and many are being demantled.
- Cairn: a small rough-haired breed of terrier (from Scotland).