Tourist-built rock cairns — sometimes called "tourist warts" in Icelandic, according to one Reddit user — are drawing new criticism after a local guide issued a public warning about the environmental damage the trend causes.
The practice, which has been popping up everywhere from Iceland's remote highlands to downtown Reykjavík, involves visitors stacking loose stones into small towers. While many see them as harmless photo props, experts say erecting rock cairns can erode fragile landscapes, disturb wildlife, and destroy cultural heritage.
According to guide Hildur Þöll Ágústsdóttir, the problem has become so widespread that she routinely dismantles the piles during her tours. "There is an incredible need among people to leave behind, they believe, a work of art that says 'I was here,'" she explained to Vísir (translated from Icelandic).
But removing stones that have sat in place for centuries "can't be anything other than natural damage," Ágústsdóttir said. At some sites, rangers have even had to fence off areas to stop tourists from erecting cairns.
The Reddit discussion added that lifting stones can expose vulnerable insects and other small animals to predators. They can also worsen erosion, especially in Iceland's thin volcanic soils, where displaced top layers may take decades to recover. One user wrote, "I knock them over whenever I see them and it's reasonable to do so."
However, the poster is careful to mention that some cairns are centuries old and have historical significance — but usually it's relatively easy to tell the difference. Another commenter said, "Sure, dismantle the ones that look like they'll topple in the next storm but be mindful that some are actual historic artifacts and modifying those is illegal."
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Hildur says education is key: "Iceland is not Disneyland, not everything is allowed here." When asked whether people should knock down tourist cairns, she advised doing so only by restoring stones to their natural position, if you can clearly see where they have been removed.
Online, residents echoed her frustration.
One commenter wrote: "Your point about them being in the highlands is another reason why people should not be messing with them or making others. We have these in the Southwest U.S. for the same reason. If you make new ones it can cause people to go off-trail and get lost. I thought everyone had enough common sense to not do that."
Another added, "'Tourist wart' is a perfect definition, thank you for that."
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