I only recently learned about people stacking stones when they’re out in nature and it had me asking one big question…

What is the point of this?

I guess because it looks cool or something?

It’s very puzzling…

A man wrote the story below and talked about why he and his friend got into a dispute about one of these stacks of stones.

Check out what happened.

AITA for knocking over stone stacks on a hike?

“While out with a friend, we were in a large wilderness area, doing some general hiking and a bit of fishing, going from stream to creek, just having a lazy day outdoors.

At one rocky stream area, previous visitors had stacked up a bunch of stones into random cairns all around the stream.

They’re not on board with this idea.

Personally, unless they are legit trail markers, I think these are basically like leaving trash behind.

I am out in nature to see and enjoy nature in a natural state, and these are just ugly and unnecessary.

They are not art, they are not sacred, they are just imposing ego on nature.

So, I scattered the rocks back around, picked up some trash also left there, and left the stream looking like nature again.

Not everyone was happy about this…

On the way home, my friend insisted I was being a jerk for knocking them over and said that I should have respected the stacks since they could have meaning to the person that did them.

I disagreed, saying the natural state of nature is more important than an ego trip to leave a mark like that, it was no different than carving initials into trees or rock faces, like doing graffiti or trash behind.

But I’m open to hearing other opinions.

AITA?”

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a person who abandoned their own D&D campaign when their friends stopped paying attention.

Reddit users shared their thoughts.

This reader said he’s NTA.

Another individual agreed.

This Reddit user spoke up.

And another reader weighed in.

Well, the people have spoken!

It seems like this whole stone stacking thing isn’t a good idea…

So it sounds like this guy did the right thing!

You don’t hear about too many arguments over things like this, that’s for sure…

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a man whose celebratory post-grad school vacation is being ruined by his family’s insistence he’s being lazy.